Action to improve Gillespie Road for residents, pedestrians and cyclists

Next month (February), the council will introduce a trial point no-entry in Gillespie Road, just west of its junction with St Thomas’s Road, to cut through-traffic along the route. 

Traffic travelling west will not be able to pass through the point no-entry, and there will be an accompanying right-turn ban to stop traffic turning right into Gillespie Road from St Thomas’s Road.  This move comes after persistent local demands for traffic reduction to improve safety, reduce congestion and cut pollution.

Work will begin on 11^th February, and the trial point no-entry will be in force by 18^th February.  To stop motor vehicles ignoring the traffic reduction measures, an enforcement camera will be installed.  For more information on the Gillespie Road point no-entry trial, see www.islington.gov.uk/GillespieRoad

The trial will run for up to 18 months, during which time the council will monitor traffic data and feedback before taking any decision to make the changes permanent or modify the scheme.

Cllr Claudia Webbe, Islington Council’s executive member for environment and transport, said: “We are committed to creating healthier streets, where people can walk and cycle safely without high levels of pollution, and live healthier and more active lives.

“Following local support for traffic reduction, we are introducing a trial traffic reduction measure on Gillespie Road to prevent westbound through-traffic.  We believe this will improve the area for pedestrians and cyclists, and encourage more people to walk and cycle.”

“The trial will be carefully monitored and evaluated before any decision is taken on whether to make the change permanent, or whether any changes are needed.”

In March, the council is planning a further trial, tightening the weight limit of the lorry ban in Highbury West from 7.5 tonnes to 3.5 tonnes and enforcing it using a new, virtual weight restriction nearby on Drayton Park.

Then, later this year, Islington Council is also set to consult residents on a proposed cycle route that will go down Gillespie Road and Drayton Park, connecting Farringdon to Palmers Green through Islington from Clerkenwell to Finsbury Park.