Work to transform Archway town centre is complete

In partnership with Islington Council, Transport for London (TfL) has completed the transformation of Archway into a safer, more pleasant and accessible town centre.

The £12.6m Archway project began in February 2016 and includes the replacement of the traffic dominated and outdated one-way gyratory with two-way traffic, which has allowed for the creation of a new public space, new safer cycle lanes and improved pedestrian crossings. These improvements have helped boost the local community by making the area more attractive for residents and visitors, and for future investment.

The improvement of Archway has:

• Reconnected a town centre fragmented by an outdated one-way system, creating a new public space for the community
• Improved pedestrian crossings on Holloway Road and to business areas
• Provided safer dedicated cycle routes separated from motor vehicles, including a two-way segregated cycle way by Archway Tube station and on Archway Road
• Produced a new vehicle-free open space outside the Archway Tube station
• Unlocked a development site for the creation of much-needed affordable homes

 Deputy Mayor for Transport, Val Shawcross, said: `These major changes have made a real difference to Archway by making walking, cycling and public transport an easy and safe choice for everyone living and working in the area. With a new pedestrian area, a segregated cycle route and improved crossings, it will substantially improve the local environment, and help attract more people to businesses in the area. Working with councils like Islington, these are the kind of improvements we want to see rolled out across all parts of London, allowing more Londoners to cycle and walk, and improving quality of life for everyone.'

Cllr Claudia Webbe, Islington Council's Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: `The transformation of Archway was a historic and once in a lifetime opportunity to turn a traffic-dominated area into a better, more connected and pleasant environment for people. It goes to the heart of our commitment to improve opportunities for walking and cycling.

`This major work has created a very attractive public space which will be at the heart of our ongoing work to further improve the area for all local communities so that residents and visitors alike can enjoy. As a result, we have also unlocked huge housing, business and employment opportunities in this part of Islington with better public transport links. Altogether, this massive transformation would not have been possible without the patience and support of local residents, whom we wholeheartedly thank.'

Leon Daniels, Managing Director of Surface Transport at TfL, said: `I'd like to thank Archway residents and businesses for their support while the transformational work has been delivered. Archway is now a safer and better connected town centre and I'm sure that it will become an even more vibrant hub of the local community.'

Nicholas Sanderson, Senior Policy Officer for Sustrans, said: `We welcome the Mayor, Transport for London and Islington's work to make Archway a better place. What was an expanse of black tarmac with traffic whizzing through is now an open, public and accessible space for people. With green trees, places to socialise and safe routes to cycle through, it is a more vibrant and attractive place for the whole community to enjoy.'

As part of his draft Transport Strategy the Mayor of London recently announced his intention to increase the proportion of people walking, cycling and taking public transport to 80 per cent of journeys by 2041. The strategy sets out a long-term ambition to transform the Capital's transport network and deliver a fairer, greener, healthier and more prosperous city for all Londoners. Transformational projects like the removal of Archway gyratory form a key part of achieving this ambition.

A key focus of the Mayor's draft Transport Strategy is TfL's £2.1bn Healthy Streets Approach. This aims to create more attractive, accessible and people-friendly streets, where everybody can enjoy spending time and being physically active by making walking and cycling easier and safer across London.

Currently, more than 40 per cent of Londoners do not achieve the recommended 150 minutes of activity a week, and 28 per cent do less than 30 minutes a week. Analysis by City Hall shows that if every Londoner walked or cycled for 20 minutes a day, it would save the NHS £1.7bn in treatment costs over the next 25 years.

Notes to Editors:

• Before and after images of Archway are available from the TfL Press Office