Boris told to act now on Kings Cross danger road

11.55.31am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 2nd Sep 2008

George Allan hands the Islington petition to Liberal Democrat Assemblywoman Caroline Pidgeon

Clerkenwell councillor George Allan, who has been leading the campaign for safer roads around Kings Cross, went to City Hall this week to present a petition from Islington residents. Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson on the GLA, will be handing the petition to the Mayor to keep up pressure on him to make sure road improvements are made- before another tragic accident happens.

The junction of Penton Rise and Pentonville Road is notoriously dangerous. There have been two cyclist fatalities in three years, and dozens of collisions.

Cyclists wanting to go down Pentonville Road are routinely hit by lorries and cars making a compulsory left turn into Penton Rise, sometimes at excessive speed. To avoid this, it is necessary for the cyclist either to weave across two fast-moving lanes of heavy traffic, including lots of buses and lorries; or to dismount and cross at the traffic lights.

Councillor George Allan said:

"I estimate that a dangerous incident happens there every half an hour, and I have personally witnessed two. Yet it has taken Transport for London years to admit that the junction was in need if urgent treatment.

"Now we are turning our attention to getting things done about longstanding problems on TfL-controlled roads in the area, including the problematic 'five-ways corner' where Kings Cross Road meets Calthorpe St, Margery St and Lloyd Baker Street."

You can read about this campaign on George Allan's blog, at: http://georgeallan.mycouncillor.org.uk/