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Local people will continue to benefit from cleaner, greener, healthier streets, with the Highbury people-friendly streets neighbourhood set to remain in place.

To make it easier for residents with disabilities to travel, the two people-friendly streets neighbourhoods – Highbury West and Highbury Fields – will merge into a single neighbourhood, known as the Highbury people-friendly streets neighbourhood trial. Blue Badge holders living in the neighbourhood with an exemption permit will be able to travel through people-friendly streets traffic filters across Highbury. Highbury Blue Badge holders with the exemption will soon receive a letter containing further details.

People-friendly streets neighbourhoods have been introduced in Islington to cut traffic, reduce air pollution, and make it easier to walk, cycle, scoot and use buggies and wheelchairs, as the council moves ahead with tackling the climate emergency.

In January 2021, the council introduced the Highbury West and Highbury Fields people-friendly streets neighbourhoods as 18-month trials. Since then, monitoring data and resident feedback reflects the neighbourhoods achieving their key goals.

The decision to continue people-friendly streets measures in Highbury follows positive monitoring data and resident feedback on the previous Highbury West and Highbury Fields neighbourhoods. Monitoring data shows that, between November 2020 and December 2021, traffic fell within the neighbourhoods by 72% - including a 95% fall on Benwell Road – while speeding on local roads dropped by 83%.

During a public consultation that was held between 7 February and 14 March 2022, local people had their say on people-friendly streets in Highbury. The consultation received 1,973 responses regarding Highbury West and 1,938 responses regarding Highbury Fields, revealing:

Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality and Transport, said: “We know that urgent action is needed to tackle the climate emergency, and helping local people get around in a cleaner, greener, healthier way is crucial to creating a brighter future.

“The monitoring and data feedback on our people-friendly streets neighbourhood trials so far reflects their positive impact in creating more pleasant streets, where it’s easier to walk, cycle and use buggies and wheelchairs, and where the toxic effects of air pollution are lowered.

“We’re delighted to see the positive impacts that people-friendly streets have brought to Highbury.”

In light of feedback, the council is also making two further changes to the new Highbury people-friendly streets neighbourhood. The council is removing three parking spaces at the Fieldway Crescent-Highbury Crescent junction, to improve sight lines for people walking or cycling in Highbury Fields, and to make large vehicle turns safer.

The council will monitor the impact of these changes before taking a final decision on making the Highbury people-friendly streets neighbourhood permanent.

In 2022, Her Majesty the Queen becomes the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, having ascended the throne on 6 February 1952.

There will be a four day bank holiday weekend from Thursday 2 June to Sunday 5 June 2022. The extended weekend is the perfect opportunity to celebrate with a street party in your people-friendly streets neighbourhood.

The people-friendly streets neighbourhood trial in Amwell, which has helped reduce traffic and increase cycling within the neighbourhood, will be extended following positive monitoring data and resident feedback.

By making it easier to walk, cycle and use buggies and wheelchairs, Islington’s people-friendly streets can help reduce dependence on motor vehicles for those that are able to use alternative modes of transport, making the borough’s streets more environmentally-friendly.

The Holloway Road to Pentonville Road Cycleway is set to remain in place following positive monitoring data and feedback, with improvements to be made to ensure it delivers even cleaner, greener, healthier streets that all can enjoy.

Passing through Liverpool Road, Tolpuddle Street, and Penton Street, the route, known as Cycleway 38 South, was installed in September 2020 as an 18-month trial to help make it easier to walk, cycle, and use buggies and wheelchairs in the borough.

To allow local people to have their say on its impact and whether they felt the trial should be kept, changed, or removed, the council held a public consultation on the cycle route between 18 November 2021 and 15 December 2021.

This consultation, which received 1,088 responses, revealed the positive impact of the scheme. A total of 54% of respondents agreed that the introduction of Cycleway 38 South had been a positive change (43% disagreed). 52% said that they felt it was easier to make trips by walking and cycling (25% disagreed) while 48% said the scheme had made it easier to access friends, family and school (25% disagreed).

However, a total of 34% of respondents said that it was less safe to walk, use a wheelchair or other mobility aid since Cycleway 38 South’s introduction (32% disagreed). Meanwhile, 47% said they would like the scheme to be changed (46% disagreed).

To help local people take part in the consultation, the council published a monitoring report on Cycleway 38 South’s impact during the first year of the trial. This revealed that cycle volumes on the route had increased by 33%, including a 96% rise on Tolpuddle Street. It also showed that the scheme had no impact on London Fire Brigade response times, or on crime and anti-social behaviour rates.

Having carefully reviewed monitoring data and feedback from local people, the council has decided to keep Cycleway 38 South in place, with a package of improvements being made to the scheme to ensure it delivers cleaner, greener, healthier and safer streets for everyone. These include, but are not limited to:

Islington Council can today announce that children, parents and teachers at Ambler Primary School and Canonbury Primary School will benefit from a package of measures to make their school entrances cleaner, greener, healthier and safer.

The council is committed to creating a more equal borough. To help make the school run greener and healthier, the council has so far introduced a total of 36 School Streets, covering 37 schools on residential streets, to help make it easier for children to walk, cycle and scoot to school – bringing environmental, health, and educational benefits.

Following a consultation with local people, the council will now be bringing exciting changes to the school gate at Ambler and Canonbury Primary Schools.

So that even more children, parents, guardians and teachers can benefit from a more pleasant atmosphere outside the school gate, with less traffic and air pollution, the council is committed to making improvements to schools on main roads, with Ambler and Canonbury Primary Schools being the first.

The exciting new measures, which will be introduced in the spring, will involve changes to Blackstock Road and Canonbury Road to make the school gate more attractive, and to make it easier to walk, cycle and scoot to and from school. These include:

In the consultation, which received 493 responses (222 at Ambler Primary School and 271 at Canonbury), respondents expressed concern about the current state of streets outside the schools. Respondents were concerned about road danger from traffic (74% of respondents at both schools agreed) and air pollution (82% agreed at Ambler; 80% at Canonbury), while many called for measures to promote active travel to improve people’s health (67% agreed at Ambler; 68% at Canonbury).

Respondents from both schools agreed that the measures the council is taking will help address these concerns, saying they felt that the measures will make it safer and easier to walk, cycle or wheel (54% at Ambler agreed and 36% disagreed; 45% at Canonbury agreed and 42% disagreed), and that the changes will make the area more pleasant (64% at Ambler agreed and 30% disagreed; 55% at Canonbury agreed; 35% disagreed).

While Islington’s other School Streets schemes involve temporarily closing streets outside schools to motor vehicle traffic at drop-off and pick-up times, this isn’t possible for schools on main roads, as these roads are key to the local transport system. It’s expected that the introduction of the proposed package of measures outside the two schools will create cleaner, greener, healthier streets.

Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We’re determined to make Islington a cleaner, greener, healthier place to live for everyone, where all can travel safely and easily and where the toxic effects of air pollution are reduced.

“Our popular School Streets programme is key to achieving that and, by supporting children, parents, carers and teachers to walk, cycle, and scoot to school, they help local people to make greener choices about how they travel.

“It’s really important that children at schools on main roads are given the opportunity to travel to and from school in healthier and safer ways. The changes we’re making outside Ambler and Canonbury Primary Schools will help to achieve that, and we look forward to introducing similar measures outside other primary schools on main roads across Islington.”

After carefully reviewing monitoring data and feedback from local people, the council is set to keep the Canonbury West people-friendly streets neighbourhood in place so that it can continue to deliver cleaner, greener, healthier streets for all.

People-friendly streets are part of the council’s mission to tackle the climate emergency, and make it easier for local people to walk, cycle, scoot, and use buggies and wheelchairs.

The Canonbury West neighbourhood was introduced as an 18-month trial in November 2020. To give local people the opportunity to have their say on its impact, the council ran a public consultation from November 30 2021 to 18 January 2022.

Responses from 751 people to the consultation showed the positive impact of the trial, with 28% of respondents who have cars saying they walk or cycle more for shorter trips instead of driving. Meanwhile, 31% said the trial has made it easier to walk and cycle to local shops and businesses (12% disagreed), while 37% said the scheme has made it easier to cross the street (25% disagreed).

The council has also been monitoring the Canonbury West people-friendly streets neighbourhood trial and, in November 2021, a report was released on the trial’s impact. Comparing data from July 2020, prior to the trial’s introduction, with updated figures from October 2021, this showed that traffic on roads within the neighbourhood had fallen 74%, with speeding falling by 86% and cycling rising by 77% within the neighbourhood.

Having reviewed the monitoring data and feedback from local people, the council will continue the Canonbury West people-friendly streets neighbourhood. To make it easier for disabled people to travel in the neighbourhood, an exemption for Blue Badge holders living in the neighbourhood to travel through camera-enforced filters in the Canonbury West neighbourhood will be introduced from Monday, 14 March. To help green the area, the council will also install three new planters in the neighbourhood.

After the exemption scheme has been introduced, the council will monitor its impact and people's feedback, before taking a decision on making the neighbourhood permanent. The council is also aware that some motorists are cutting through the neighbourhood via Canonbury Park North and Compton Road, in order to avoid traffic on St Paul’s Road, and is exploring options to resolve this.

Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We know that action is needed to tackle the climate emergency and create a cleaner, greener, healthier future for our borough, and people-friendly streets are a key part of that.

“By encouraging, enabling and empowering local people to take more trips on foot, bike, or wheel, the schemes help reduce air pollution and create more pleasant streets that everyone can enjoy.

“The monitoring data and consultation feedback reflects the positive impact of the Canonbury West people-friendly streets neighbourhood. By introducing a Blue Badge holder exemption to the neighbourhood we can make it easier for everyone to travel, while ensuring that the scheme continues to deliver cleaner, greener, healthier streets.”

The exemption scheme will mean that Blue Badge holders that live in the neighbourhood will be able to apply for a permit allowing a single motor vehicle registered to their address to travel through traffic filters in the Canonbury West people-friendly streets neighbourhood.

The council is also developing an exceptional circumstances dispensation who do not meet the criteria for the Blue Badge exemption, and further information will follow in the coming weeks.

The Clerkenwell Green people-friendly streets neighbourhood, which has brought cleaner, greener, healthier streets, is set to be made permanent after monitoring data and feedback from local people revealed its positive impact.

To make it easier for disabled people to travel, the council will introduce an exemption policy for Blue Badge holders living in the neighbourhood to travel through camera-enforced traffic filters in the neighbourhood.

Making the neighbourhood permanent will help achieve the council’s wider ambition of redesigning Clerkenwell Green to create an improved public space, as consulted on in 2017.

As part of its people-friendly pavements programme, the council also plans to introduce accessibility improvements in the neighbourhood, so that it’s easier for everyone to walk, cycle, and wheel.

The Clerkenwell Green people-friendly streets neighbourhood was introduced in September 2020 as an 18-month trial, as part of the council’s efforts to tackle the climate emergency and, where possible, to enable local people to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of taking more journeys on foot, bike, or wheel.  

So that local people could have their say on the future of the neighbourhood, the council ran a public consultation between November 2021 and December 2021. A total of 49% of the respondents to the consultation said they felt it was easier to make trips by walking and cycling (19% disagreed), 49% said that air was cleaner (19% disagreed), and 23% of participants who have a car said they now walk and cycle for shorter trips instead of driving (20% of those with a car said they walk and cycle less for shorter trips instead of driving).

To help local people take part in the consultation, the council published monitoring data on the trial’s impact. The data showed that, between August 2020 and September 2021, traffic fell within the neighbourhood by 11%, while cycling increased at the Clerkenwell Green south site by 135% (from 152 trips per day to 357). Meanwhile, cycling increased overall by 100% on roads within the neighbourhood.

This monitoring data and the feedback from the public consultation have informed the council’s decision to make the existing trial permanent.

Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Our people-friendly streets are helping to make Islington a cleaner, greener, and healthier place, and are part of our ambitions to ensure that all can travel safely and easily.

“We’re delighted to see the positive impact that the Clerkenwell Green people-friendly streets neighbourhood has brought and, having reviewed the monitoring data and listened carefully to the feedback local people have given us, we’re making the neighbourhood permanent.

“To make it easier for disabled people to travel in the neighbourhood, we’re also introducing a Blue Badge exemption and people-friendly pavements. This will help make the neighbourhood more accessible for all, while continuing to deliver quieter and more pleasant streets.”

The introduction of the exemption policy will allow Blue Badge holders living in the neighbourhood to apply for a single motor vehicle to travel through local camera-enforced traffic filters in the neighbourhood. The council is also developing an exceptional circumstances dispensation for those who do not meet the criteria for the Blue Badge exemption, and further information will follow in the coming weeks.

Minor works will need to take place in the neighbourhood to allow for the introduction of the Blue Badge exemptions. This work will start on Thursday, 17 March, and is expected to be completed by Friday, 18 March.

The council has closely studied monitoring data and listened carefully to feedback on the Canonbury East people-friendly streets neighbourhood, and will now introduce an exemption scheme for Blue Badge holders living in the neighbourhood.  

Canonbury East is the second of seven people-friendly streets neighbourhoods to be brought in as 18-month trials to help create better streets for local people, where it’s easier to walk, cycle and use buggies and wheelchairs.      

In a recent public consultation on the impact of the neighbourhood, participants said they felt air was cleaner (45% agreed; 22% disagreed), and 47% said it was easier to cross the streets (24% disagreed).

A total of 45% said it has been easier to walk and cycle for short trips (24% disagreed), while more than a quarter of those surveyed that have cars said they walk or cycle for shorter journeys instead of driving.      

On Wednesday 22 December 2021, Islington Council published a report showing feedback on the St Peter’s people-friendly streets neighbourhood which, alongside recent monitoring data, reflects the scheme’s positive impact.

The council has closely studied monitoring data and has listened carefully to feedback – including from disabled people and groups representing disabled people – and will now introduce an exemption scheme for Blue Badge holders living in the neighbourhood.

St Peter’s was the first of seven people-friendly streets neighbourhoods to be brought in so far as 18-month trials to help create better streets for local people, where it’s easier to walk, cycle and use buggies and wheelchairs.

In a recent public consultation on the impact of the neighbourhood, participants said they felt air was cleaner (48% agreed; 18% disagreed) and that they felt safer using streets during the day (46% agreed; 25% disagreed).

A total of 46% said it has been easier to walk and cycle for short trips (19% disagreed), while more than a quarter of those surveyed that have cars said they walk or cycle for shorter journeys instead of driving.

Islington Council can today announce that it is introducing new measures to make it easier for disabled people to travel in the Highbury West and Highbury Fields people-friendly streets neighbourhoods.

The two people-friendly streets neighbourhoods in Highbury were introduced in January 2021 as 18-month trials, as part of the council’s ongoing efforts to make Islington a cleaner, greener, and healthier place to live.

Islington Council can today announce that its efforts to create a cleaner, greener, healthier borough are continuing, with the introduction of a new people-friendly streets neighbourhood in the St Mary’s Church area.

So far, the council has introduced seven people-friendly streets neighbourhoods to help create streets that are better suited to walking, cycling and using buggies and wheelchairs, and where toxic air pollution is reduced.

Monitoring data from the neighbourhoods – which have been introduced as 18-month trials – reveals how they have led to a reduction in traffic within the neighbourhoods, making it easier to walk, cycle and scoot.

It is hoped that the introduction of Islington’s eighth people-friendly streets neighbourhood will bring similar benefits to the St Mary’s Church area, which in recent years has suffered from increased levels of traffic. A total of four camera-enforced traffic filters will be installed in the neighbourhood - on Halton Road, Braes Street, Hawes Street, and Cross Street – to prevent cut-through traffic. The council has been engaging with local businesses and organisations in recent months, and the design of the scheme has taken this feedback on board.

Islington Council is inviting local people to have their say on the St Peter’s people-friendly streets neighbourhood, as monitoring data published on Monday 13 September reveals the trial’s positive impact.

Local people are at the heart of the council’s ambition to create a fairer borough together, and their feedback on Islington’s people-friendly streets schemes has been invaluable.

The St Peter’s scheme is one of seven people-friendly streets neighbourhoods to be introduced as 18-month trials by the council, as part of efforts to create a safer, greener, healthier borough for all.

Comparing data from June 2020 – a month before the scheme’s introduction – with updated figures from June 2021, a monitoring report published today reveals that the St Peter’s trial led to a 56% drop in traffic on internal roads.

The number of speeding vehicles fell by 78% within the neighbourhood, while rates of cycling rose by 72% inside the neighbourhood. The report also reveals that the trial has not had a significant impact on traffic on boundary roads surrounding the neighbourhood.

From Monday 13 September, the council is launching a public consultation on the St Peter’s people-friendly streets neighbourhood. Responses to the consultation will help decide if the trial should be made permanent, changed, or removed.

Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We all have a role to play in tackling the climate emergency, and our people-friendly streets neighbourhoods are a key part of our efforts to create a safer, greener, healthier Islington together.

“We are excited to reveal the positive monitoring data from the St Peter’s trial, which shows how the scheme has improved life for local people. By reducing traffic within the neighbourhood, the trial has helped create streets that are better suited to walking, cycling and using buggies and wheelchairs.

“People-friendly streets are designed to create a better borough for everyone, and our ears are open to feedback from local people on the impact of the schemes.

“That is why, from today, we’re encouraging people across the St Peter’s neighbourhood to let us know how the scheme has affected them so far by taking part in our online survey.”

The public consultation on the St Peter’s neighbourhood will run for four weeks, ending on Monday, 11 October. During this period, the council will be reaching out to people in St Peter’s to understand the impact of the scheme on them, including through a series of events in the area.

Local people will also be asked for their views on an exemption scheme for Blue Badge holders that the council is considering introducing.

If you live in or travel through Highbury please be aware that as part of our people-friendly streets programme, enforcement at ten new traffic filters (eight of which are camera enforced), will commence in the Highbury area on Monday 11 January.  

We are introducing people-friendly streets in Highbury to reduce through traffic and make the area safer, healthier and fairer for everyone. We want to make our streets friendly for all, especially children, young people and for people who find it difficult to get around. 

With the main works now completed, we will unveil the currently covered signage and start camera enforcement at the traffic filter locations specified below. Any motor vehicle (except for emergency services) travelling through the camera-enforced traffic filters will receive a Penalty Charge Notice.  

Traffic filter locations:  

In Highbury West, six new camera-enforced traffic filters will become active. These are located on Aubert Park, Benwell Road, Gillespie Road, Highbury Hill, Monsell Road and St. Thomas’s Road.   Two further new filters, physically e nforced by bollards, will be installed at Avenell Road and Plimsoll Road.  

In Highbury Fields, two camera-enforced traffic filters will be installed on Highbury Place: one located south of the junction with Calabria Road and the other at the junction with Highbury Corner. 

For detailed maps of both schemes, showing the locations of traffic filters and vehicle access routes, please follow the corresponding links below: 

Islington Council’s efforts to make the borough safer, greener and healthier for all are continuing, with two people-friendly streets neighbourhoods set to arrive in Highbury.

The council is working hard to make Islington’s neighbourhoods more pleasant and safer for everyone. Changes are therefore being made to the borough’s streets, to make them better for living, working, and playing. The planned people-friendly streets neighbourhoods, which will be in Highbury West and Highbury Fields, will help to achieve this.

People-friendly streets are designed to make it easier for local people to walk and cycle safely, use buggies and wheelchairs, and cross roads. In doing so, they help to create a fairer borough, where it is easier for everyone to travel.

In recent years, advances in satellite navigation technology have contributed to more traffic looking for shortcuts along residential streets, making them more polluted and less safe. Research shows that 24.3 million more miles were driven through Islington in 2019 than 2013. Furthermore, across London there has been a 72% rise in traffic on C roads and unclassified roads – which are typically smaller, local roads - since 2009.

People-friendly streets are designed to help address this situation, which has only been made worse by the coronavirus pandemic. Due to the continued reduced public transport capacity and the need for social distancing, urgent measures are needed to prevent traffic volumes rising even further, which would make streets worse than before the pandemic.

This is why the council has been working quickly and effectively to create people-friendly streets. People-friendly streets neighbourhoods have been introduced in the St Peter’s, Canonbury East, Canonbury West, Clerkenwell Green and Amwell areas this year, where local people are already enjoying the benefits of calmer, safer, more accessible streets.

The work in Highbury West and Highbury Fields is intended to bring similar benefits, and will see a series of traffic reduction measures brought in to create a safer, greener, healthier environment for all, where local people can enjoy their streets more. Work on implementing both schemes will start on Monday, 30 November, and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We know how important Islington’s streets and neighbourhoods are for local people, and we want them to be safe, healthy, green spaces that are enjoyable for all.

“As technology has changed over time, we have seen satellite navigation systems directing traffic through residential areas, causing more traffic, pollution, and road danger for local people. In light of this, the council has long been planning initiatives to improve Islington’s streets.

“People-friendly streets are designed to address this situation, and to help the borough respond effectively to the continued fall in public transport capacity during the pandemic. By reducing the dominance of motor vehicles, we can make Islington a fairer borough where everyone – including the approximately 70% of households that do not own a car - can walk, cycle, and use buggies and wheelchairs safely and easily.

“The Highbury West and Highbury Fields people-friendly streets neighbourhoods are a significant step towards creating a safer, greener, healthier borough for everyone, and we look forward to announcing further schemes soon.”

In order to make Highbury more people-friendly for all, a total of ten traffic filters will be installed – eight in the Highbury West neighbourhood, and two in Highbury Fields. Crucially, every street in the borough will remain accessible by motor vehicle for everyone, including local people, visitors and deliveries – the only thing that may change is the route. Residents in the two neighbourhoods have received a leaflet with further details of the changes.

The two neighbourhoods are being implemented as 18-month trials, using Experimental Traffic Orders. This means that, after around 12 months, a public consultation will be held on each neighbourhood to give local people the chance to say whether they would like the changes to be made permanent, changed, or removed.

Islington Council has been carrying out work to introduce the Amwell people-friendly streets neighbourhood, which includes traffic filters at Great Percy Street, Lloyd Square and Margery Street. With the main works now completed, we will unveil the currently covered signage on Great Percy Street on Monday 23 November, and start camera enforcement at the traffic filters at Great Percy Street and Lloyd Square.

Please note that signage for the Margery Street camera-enforced filter will not yet be unveiled, and camera enforcement at Margery Street will not yet commence and will be announced later.

Islington Council has been carrying out work to introduce the Canonbury West people-friendly streets neighbourhood, which includes traffic filters at Canonbury Place, Alwyne Road, Ramsey Walk, and Clephane Road. Unfortunately due to some of the newly installed signs being vandalised, construction is taking longer than we anticipated. We now expect to unveil the currently covered signage on Monday 9 November, once construction has been completed.

Islington Council is continuing to take bold action to make streets safer, greener, and healthier for all by creating its fifth people-friendly streets neighbourhood, in Amwell. 

The council is working quickly and effectively to improve its transport network, to create the more-pleasant streets that residents have long called for and to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.     

People-friendly streets make it easier for local people to walk and cycle safely, use buggies and wheelchairs, and cross roads. In achieving this, they will also help to prevent a sharp rise in motor vehicle use as we adapt to social distancing and fewer people use public transport.

The council has already announced people-friendly streets neighbourhoods in St Peter’s, Canonbury East and West, and Clerkenwell Green, with more neighbourhoods set to be introduced before the end of the year.   

Work on the Amwell neighbourhood will start on Monday, 5 October and will involve the implementation of four traffic filters.   

Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We’re creating people-friendly streets to make Islington a better borough for all, where residents can walk, cycle, cross roads and use buggies and wheelchairs safely and easily.   

“Local people have long been calling for measures to reduce the dominance of motor vehicles, and create safer, greener, more welcoming neighbourhoods. This, coupled with the need to enable safe social distancing, is why we have been working at pace to deliver people-friendly streets all over Islington.   

“Amwell will be our fifth people-friendly streets neighbourhood, and residents living there can look forward to calmer, friendlier and greener streets once the work is complete.”  

The four traffic filters in Amwell will have the effect of removing traffic that currently cuts through the area, ensuring better streets for local people. At certain locations, camera-enforced filters will allow buses and emergency services vehicles through.    

Amwell will remain accessible by motor vehicle, and local people with motor vehicles will still be able to drive and park near to their homes, as will visitors and deliveries from outside the area. Routes in and out of the area to main roads may change.    

The areas to the east and west of Amwell Street, around Myddleton and Wilmington Squares, already benefit from historic traffic reduction measures. The planned people-friendly streets neighbourhood is in the area to the west of Amwell Street, north of Wilmington Square, and is expected to bring similar benefits, such as reduced traffic, less noise, and a better environment for walking and cycling.  

These changes will be implemented under an 18-month Experimental Traffic Order. After 12 months, a public consultation will take place to give residents the chance to indicate whether they would like the changes to be made permanent.  

Work on a new Cycleway stretching from Finsbury Park to Pentonville Road, which will make it easier for local people to walk and cycle, is set to resume.

Cycleway 38 will create a greener, more pleasant space for local people and a convenient, more direct cycle route, making it easier to get around the borough as lockdown measures are eased with more people returning to work and school.

The new Cycleway is part of the council’s plans for people-friendly streets, which make it easier to walk, cycle and use buggies and wheelchairs, create more space for social distancing, and are more enjoyable for local people to use.

Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: “This innovative new Cycleway will create a more direct, people-friendly route between Finsbury Park and Pentonville Road, making it easier than ever for local people to cycle and walk between these locations.

“Making it safer to walk and cycle enables Islington’s residents and visitors to enjoy the beauty of our borough in a way that reduces unnecessary car journeys and therefore cuts down on air pollution and congestion, contributing towards our goal of achieving a net zero carbon Islington by 2030.

“With more people avoiding public transport in light of the coronavirus pandemic, we must act now in order to make it safer and easier for people to walk and cycle, to avoid a rise in motor vehicle use as we come out of lockdown. This is why work on the Cycleway has restarted at the earliest available opportunity.”

Islington Council’s ambitious plans to create healthier, safer, more pleasant streets are continuing, with Canonbury West becoming the borough’s latest people-friendly streets neighbourhood.

The council is listening to local people, who have enjoyed quieter and calmer streets since the Covid-19 lockdown started.

The pandemic has fundamentally altered the transport landscape, and without action there is a risk that streets will become more unsafe, unhealthy, and worse than before the crisis began.

It is vitally important that the council creates more pleasant streets for local people, to support them in using active transport to travel around the borough, to help clean Islington’s air, and to make streets and footpaths more appropriate for safe social distancing.

That is why the council is acting now to make streets more people-friendly for all, in particular children, young people, and those who are vulnerable.

Work on the Canonbury West people-friendly streets neighbourhood is due to start on Monday, September 7.

Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We are listening to local people’s concerns about Islington's streets. We know it is vital that we act now to create people-friendly streets to make it easier and safer to walk, cycle, and use wheelchairs and buggies.

“Our people-friendly streets make it easier for local people to walk and cycle around the borough, whilst helping to avoid a spike in motor vehicle use as we come out of lockdown and creating more space for safe social distancing.

“The people-friendly streets neighbourhood in Canonbury West will create a safer, cleaner and greener transport environment for all. Canonbury West will be our fourth people-friendly streets neighbourhood, and we look forward to announcing details of more in the near-future.”

The work in Canonbury West will involve the implementation of four traffic filters, which will have the effect of removing cut-through traffic to create a quieter, more welcoming neighbourhood.

At all locations, camera enforced filters will allow emergency services vehicles through. The council works closely with emergency services before each people-friendly streets neighbourhood is installed, to ensure they can still access every street in the area.

Residents will not be exempt from the filters, but will still be able to access their property by car, as will visitors and deliveries from outside the neighbourhood.

These changes will be implemented under an 18-month Experimental Traffic Order. After 12 months, a public consultation will take place to give residents the chance to indicate whether they would like the changes to be made permanent.

In addition, the council is continuing to use its Commonplace webpage as a forum for local people to share their comments and ideas on improving Islington’s streets. So far, the site has received more than 4,500 comments.

Further people-friendly streets neighbourhoods are set to be introduced in the Highbury, Clerkenwell, Nags Head, and St Mary’s Church areas by the autumn. 

The council is listening to local people and is working to create more people-friendly streets using quick, inexpensive measures such as bollards and banned turns. 

People-friendly streets are part of the council’s vision for a safer, greener, healthier borough, and will help achieve our ambitious plans for a net zero carbon Islington by 2030.

Changes in Canonbury West will involve the implementation of traffic filters on Canonbury Place, Alwyne Road, Clephane Road and Ramsey Walk.

Islington Council is taking action to reduce congestion on Mayton Street, as part of its continuing efforts to make the borough’s streets more people-friendly.

The council is working hard to make streets across the borough better and more pleasant for all, and is listening to local people as it does so.

As part of this goal, traffic reduction measures are to be introduced to make Mayton Street more people-friendly, by preventing its use as a cut-through to the car park of the nearby Morrison’s supermarket on Hertslet Road.

From Saturday, August 15, motor vehicles will no longer be able to access Hertslet Road via Mayton Street or the parallel Roden Street. This will significantly reduce the number of cars travelling down Mayton Street, creating a greener, safer and quieter street for local people.

To enforce this, Islington Council will install two traffic cameras, one on Mayton Road and one on Roden Street. Work on installing cameras, road markings and signage will start on Monday, August 10, and will be completed by the time the new restrictions come into force. In order to create space for vehicles to turn around, two parking spaces will be removed on Roden Street, and one will also be removed on Mayton Street.

Cllr Rowena Champion, Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We are working tirelessly to create streets that are more friendly, greener and safer for our residents, and are listening to local people as we do so.

“These measures will end Mayton Street’s use as a cut-through, reducing air and noise pollution whilst making the street safer for local people.

“I applaud the fantastic work the Finsbury Park councillors have done to champion the concerns of Mayton Street’s local residents about the traffic on their street.”

The introduction of the new measures follows a public consultation with local people in November and December 2019, during which a majority of residents voiced their support for them.

The measures will be introduced under an 18-month Experimental Traffic Order, during which their impacts will be closely monitored to inform a decision about the scheme remaining in place permanently.  

Canonbury East will be home to Islington’s second people-friendly streets neighbourhood, creating greener, safer, more pleasant streets for all.

Islington Council is listening to local people, who have enjoyed quieter, calmer streets during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The council is working hard to ensure that streets across the borough remain friendly for everyone, in particular children, young people and those who are vulnerable.

The introduction of people-friendly streets in Islington will create more space to make it easier to walk safely, cycle as part of everyday life, use buggies or wheelchairs, and cross roads.

Work on the people-friendly streets neighbourhood in Canonbury East will start on Monday, 27 July, and will involve the implementation of traffic filters on 10 streets.

These will have the combined effect of removing traffic that currently cuts through the area as well as reducing the overall amount of traffic, making streets safer, quieter and cleaner for local people.

Islington Council is rapidly accelerating the rollout of its pioneering School Streets programme – with a further 26 schools set to benefit before the end of the year.

The new School Streets will be introduced as part of the council’s wider efforts to create people-friendly streets, improve air quality, and facilitate social distancing in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

School Streets reduce traffic outside schools at drop-off and pick-up times and help to create quieter, safer environments for children by reducing road danger and improving air quality at the school gates. In addition, they encourage active travel, enabling young people and parents to stay physically active and healthy as they travel to and from school.

Since the borough’s first School Street was introduced in November 2018, a further 12 have followed. Today’s announcement means that the number of School Streets in the borough will triple by the end of the year to 39.

The rapid acceleration of the School Streets programme is part of Islington Council’s wider efforts to create people-friendly streets, which make it easier to walk and cycle, create more space for social distancing, and are more enjoyable for local people to use. In addition, the rollout of people-friendly streets will help Islington achieve its ambitious plans to be a net zero carbon borough by 2030.

Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We’re working hard to make Islington’s streets more people-friendly, in order to make it easier and safer to walk, and to make streets better and more pleasant for all.

“The accelerated delivery of School Streets across the borough will make travelling to school safer for all our children and young people by improving air quality, reducing road danger and making it easier to socially distance. It will also create a more active borough by making it easier for children and parents to walk, cycle or use scooters to get to and from school.

“Air pollution is a major health emergency facing local people, and we know that children are particularly vulnerable to its damaging effects. That is why we are taking bold action to clean the air that children and young people breathe, and to make streets safer for all, especially school children.”

Under the scheme, streets outside schools are closed during pick-up and drop-off times in term time. Vehicles will not be permitted to enter the street between the times of operation unless they have been given an exemption.  Vehicles that do not have an exemption will receive a penalty charge notice.

The 26 new School Streets will be introduced outside primary schools by the end of December 2020. Residents in the surrounding area of each School Street will receive a letter in due course informing them of the changes.

The School Streets will be installed under 18-month experimental traffic orders. After 12 months, schools, parents and neighbours will be invited to have their say on whether their School Street should remain in place permanently.

Islington Council will closely monitor all of the new School Streets to assess their impact on the local area.

Islington Council’s first people-friendly streets neighbourhood is to be created in St Peter’s – to improve streets for everyone.

Local people have been enjoying their streets more during the current health emergency.

The council is listening to local people and working hard to make streets across the borough friendlier for everyone, particularly children, young people and those who are vulnerable.

Islington’s people-friendly streets will create more space to make it easier to walk safely, cycle as part of everyday life, use buggies or wheelchairs, and cross roads.

Work on the people-friendly streets neighbourhood in St Peter’s is due to start on Friday, 3 July, and is expected to be completed on Thursday, 9 July.

The people-friendly streets neighbourhood in St Peter’s will be the first of its kind in Islington, with more neighbourhoods to follow over the coming months.

Cllr Rowena Champion, Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: “It’s vital we act to create people-friendly streets, where it is easier and safer to walk and cycle, and streets are better and more pleasant for all.

“With less traffic in recent weeks, people have been telling us they are enjoying their streets more. The work being done in St Peter’s will help local people to socially distance as they make essential trips, whilst also creating safer, cleaner and more pleasant streets.

“These plans are moving forward at pace, and we look forward to announcing details of more people-friendly streets neighbourhoods in the near-future.”

The new measures in St Peter’s will initially be in place under an 18-month experimental traffic order. A public consultation will then take place in June and July 2021 for local people to indicate whether they would like these measures to remain in place permanently.

Residents living in the St Peter’s area will receive a letter in the near-future explaining how the work will affect them.

Last month the council launched a Commonplace webpage to ask local people to give ideas and suggestions on what can be done to improve their streets. There have been more than 2,200 comments so far.

The council will listen to local people and work to create people-friendly streets using quick, inexpensive measures such as bollards and banned turns.

By introducing new measures to stop rat-running through residential areas, streets will be safer to walk, cycle, use buggies and wheelchairs on, whilst keeping access for emergency vehicles, trade vehicles, and local people who need cars.

More people-friendly streets neighbourhoods are set to be introduced in the Canonbury, Highbury, Clerkenwell, Nags Head, and St Mary’s areas by the autumn.

The announced plans follow a number of measures already introduced in response to the health emergency, including widening pavements at Highbury Barn, on Green Lanes and on Stroud Green Road, and supporting changes to Transport for London’s roads.

More measures at key locations like shopping areas and transport hubs, temporary cycle lanes, and even more school streets are set to be introduced across the borough in the coming months.

People-friendly streets are part of the council’s vision for a safer, greener, healthier borough, and will help achieve our ambitious plans for a net zero carbon Islington by 2030.