Saturday 12 October 2013

Around the boroughs - Islington

Transport of angels - bikes on Liverpool Road
And so to leafy Islington, London's first 20mph borough.

Story so far: The south of Islington has had docking stations since the scheme's launch, and there are plenty places to dock in Angel, Clerkenwell, St Luke's and Finsbury. Cycling facilities are better than many boroughs, particularly as Islington has a 20mph speed limit on its borough roads.

Coming soon: 4 new docking stations will be constructed along the northern edge of the current scheme, the majority close to Caledonian Road. On the Barnsbury Estate a docking station on Carnegie Street will have about 40 docking points, and another is situated nearby on Charlotte Terrace. These are close, but perhaps not quite close enough, to help with the paucity of docks close to King's Cross station. The most exciting new station is on Islington Green, ideally positioned for shops, cafes and restaurants.

Green revolution - docks coming soon to Islington Green
The future? As in Hackney, the expansion of the scheme in Islington is modest, and there are no published plans for further expansion. It would be good to see the scheme pushing northwards in the future into Barnsbury, Islington, along Essex Road, perhaps as far as Highbury and Islington tube station, an important transport interchange. Further attention does need to be given to King's Cross, on the border with Camden borough, where provision is poor.

Boris rating: 5

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