Hackney Council have proposed three new traffic schemes which would see an end to long-running traffic problems in Stoke Newington.
The current one-way system around the High Street and Rectory Road, also known as the gyratory, has been a longstanding bugbear of local residents, who complain of increased congestion and speeding in the area.
The plans have received the backing of Transport for London and they will now be refined during a second stage of planning before a preferred option is agreed upon.
The council’s proposals offer either a full two-way system; a part two-way system, with one-way traffic remaining on Evering Road, Manse Road and Brooke Road; or a part two-way system, with only buses and cyclists allowed to travel southbound on the High Street.
Feryal Demirci, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “This has been a concern for a number of years, so we are committed to making a new system work.”
She said: “We’ve been listening to residents and businesses on this issue over the last six or seven years and we are finally ready to find a workable scheme.”
The plans were welcomed by Trevor Parsons, coordinator of the Hackney Cycling Campaign, who believes the removal of the gyratory is a step in the right direction.
He said: “The gyratory is a phenomenon of the past, when there was an obsession with fitting as much motor traffic on the road as possible. Its removal would restore the ability to cycle. We support the move towards a two-way system.”
Image: Hackney Council
