Old Street Roundabout

Last updated

Old Street Roundabout, 2012. Since 2020 the street closest to camera has been pedestrianised. Old Street Roundabout from above in 2012.jpg
Old Street Roundabout, 2012. Since 2020 the street closest to camera has been pedestrianised.

Old Street Roundabout is a road junction in Central London, England. Historically a square roundabout, it is now a three-way junction. It is among access points of the Inner Ring Road for the adjoining St Luke's south part of Islington and the City of London beyond, west and south, respectively. It is roughly on the western limit of Hoxton in the London Borough of Hackney which straddles both sides of the Ring Road, a road which after taking up a little of the eastern part of Old Street then veers south-east, taking Great Eastern Street, at Apex Junction.

Contents

It is sometimes known as St. Agnes Well after the shopping centre beneath it, while the moniker of Silicon Roundabout owes to the local prominence of technology companies. Since October 2020 the layout has been a simple junction, not gyratory. [1] [2]

Connections

View from the south-east side of Old Street Roundabout looking north-west Old St Rdbt.jpg
View from the south-east side of Old Street Roundabout looking north-west
An urban sculpture and advertising hoarding in the centre of Old Street Roundabout, pictured from the south side looking north. Old Street Landmark.jpg
An urban sculpture and advertising hoarding in the centre of Old Street Roundabout, pictured from the south side looking north.

City Road crosses the roundabout, running south towards the City of London (particularly Moorgate and Liverpool Street stations), and north-west towards Angel, Pentonville, and the two northward railway terminus districts: King's Cross/St. Pancras and Euston.

The main, namely north-east side, the north-western continuation of City Road, and Great Eastern Street are the limit the congestion charge zone (CCZ).

To the west of Old Street are Clerkenwell, Finsbury, and (further afield) the West End. To the east are Shoreditch and London's East End.

St. Agnes Well

The shopping complex serving the broad underpass at the centre of the roundabout is named St. Agnes Well, after an ancient well thought to have been about 200 metres (660 ft) to the east, at the junction of Old Street and Great Eastern Street. Remnants of the well can be found within Old Street station. [3]

Old Street station

Old Street station ticket hall. Old Street ticket office.jpg
Old Street station ticket hall.

Old Street station is below Old Street Roundabout. It is served by the Bank branch of the London Underground Northern line and by National Rail Great Northern trains. With the increase in passenger numbers using the station, in 2014 Transport for London announced that it was to offer pop-up retail space at Old Street station as part of a drive to increase its revenue. [4]

Silicon Roundabout

The term Silicon Roundabout refers to the high number of web businesses near the Old Street Roundabout (also in East London), by analogy to Silicon Valley in California. [5] [6] [7]

Collisions involving cyclists

A number of collisions involving cyclists have occurred at Old Street roundabout. According to the London Cycling Campaign, the junction is among the top three in London for collisions involving cyclists. [8] Within a few days in February 2011 two cyclists were severely injured in collisions involving lorries on or very close to the roundabout. [9] [10] In another collision involving a lorry in 2008, a cyclist suffered severe leg injuries, which the police described as "potentially life-changing". [11] In response to this Transport for London proposed a massive transformation of the roundabout, into a pedestrian square with segregated cycle lanes and road signals. [12] On 25 July 2018, a cyclist was severely injured on Old Street roundabout following a collision with a lorry. [13]

Reconfiguration

After extensive public consultation held in 201415, plans to broaden the non-motor vehicle area began in 2018. [14] In 2019, the work began by Transport for London (TfL) in conjunction with Morgan Sindall. [1] and the Boroughs of Islington and Hackney to create a much more pedestrian- and cycle-friendly zone. [15] Remaining motor traffic is two-way to speed up pedestrian crossings and allow segregated cycle lanes. The work created a well-lit pedestrianised space around the new station main entrance. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roundabout</span> Traffic intersection

A roundabout, a rotary and a traffic circle are types of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalston</span> Area of East London, England

Dalston is an area of East London, in the London Borough of Hackney. It is four miles northeast of Charing Cross. Dalston began as a hamlet on either side of Dalston Lane, and as the area urbanised the term also came to apply to surrounding areas including Kingsland and Shacklewell, all three of which being part of the Ancient Parish of Hackney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoreditch</span> Area of London, England

Shoreditch is an area in London, England and is located in the London Borough of Hackney alongside neighbouring parts of Tower Hamlets, which are also perceived as part of the area due to historic ecclesiastical links. Shoreditch lies just north-east of the border with the City of London and is considered to be a part of London's East End.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Street</span> Street in central and east London, England

Old Street is a 1-mile (1.6 km) street in inner north-east Central London, England that runs west to east from Goswell Road in Clerkenwell, in the London Borough of Islington, via St Luke's and Old Street Roundabout, to the crossroads where it meets Shoreditch High Street (south), Kingsland Road (north) and Hackney Road (east) in Shoreditch in the London Borough of Hackney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Street station</span> London Underground and railway station

Old Street is an interchange station at the junction of Old Street and City Road in Central London for London Underground and National Rail services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A11 road (England)</span> Road in England

The A11 is a major trunk road in England. It originally ran roughly north east from London to Norwich, Norfolk. It now consists of a short section in Inner London and a much longer section in Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk. The lengthy section between these was renumbered as a result of the opening of the M11 in the 1970s and then the A12 extension in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safety in numbers</span> Hypothesis

Safety in numbers is the hypothesis that, by being part of a large physical group or mass, an individual is less likely to be the victim of a mishap, accident, attack, or other bad event. Some related theories also argue that mass behaviour can reduce accident risks, such as in traffic safety – in this case, the safety effect creates an actual reduction of danger, rather than just a redistribution over a larger group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grade separation</span> Type of road junction

In civil engineering, grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a mixture of roads, footpaths, railways, canals, or airport runways. Bridges, tunnels, or a combination of both can be built at a junction to achieve the needed grade separation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackney Central railway station</span> London Overground station

Hackney Central is a London Overground station on the North London line in the London Borough of Hackney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Middleway</span> Ring road in Birmingham, England

The A4540 is a ring road in Birmingham, England, also known as the Middle Ring Road, or the Middleway. It runs around the centre of the city at a distance of approximately 1 mile (1.6 km). Birmingham City Centre is the area within this ring road. The ring road was planned and designed by Herbert Manzoni. It is now simply known as the Ring Road due to the removal of the old Inner Ring Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advanced stop line</span> Road junction markings giving some vehicles a head start

An advanced stop line (ASL), also called advanced stop box or bike box, is a type of road marking at signalised road junctions allowing certain types of vehicle a head start when the traffic signal changes from red to green. Advanced stop lines are implemented widely in Denmark, the United Kingdom, and other European countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Edinburgh</span> Overview of the transport system in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a major transport hub in east central Scotland and is at the centre of a multi-modal transport network with road, rail and air communications connecting the city with the rest of Scotland and internationally.

Transport in Cardiff, capital and most populous city in Wales involves road, rail, bus, water and air. It is a major city of the United Kingdom and a centre of employment, government, retail, business, culture, media, sport and higher education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling in London</span> Overview of cycling in London, England

Cycling is a popular mode of transport and leisure activity within London, the capital city of the United Kingdom. Following a national decline in the 1960s of levels of utility cycling, cycling as a mode of everyday transport within London began a slow regrowth in the 1970s. This continued until the beginning of the 21st century, when levels began to increase significantly—during the period from 2000 to 2012, the number of daily journeys made by bicycle in Greater London doubled to 580,000. The growth in cycling can partly be attributed to the launch in 2010 by Transport for London (TfL) of a cycle hire system throughout the city's centre. By 2013, the scheme was attracting a monthly ridership of approximately 500,000, peaking at a million rides in July of that year. Health impact analyses have shown that London would benefit more from increased cycling and cycling infrastructure than other European cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angel, London</span> Human settlement in England

Angel is an area on the northern fringes of Central London within the London Borough of Islington. It is 2 miles (3.2 km) north-northeast of Charing Cross on the Inner Ring Road at a busy transport intersection. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in London. It is a significant commercial and retail centre, and a business improvement district. Angel straddles the ancient boundary of the parishes of Clerkenwell and Islington that later became the metropolitan boroughs of Finsbury and Islington. It is named from the former Angel Inn which stood on the corner of Islington High Street and Pentonville Road. Since 1965 the whole area has formed part of the London Borough of Islington in Greater London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling infrastructure</span> Facilities for use by cyclists

Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except where cyclists are barred such as many freeways/motorways. It includes amenities such as bike racks for parking, shelters, service centers and specialized traffic signs and signals. The more cycling infrastructure, the more people get about by bicycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bow Interchange</span> Road junction

Bow Interchange is a busy grade-separated road junction in London, England, on the East Cross Route between Bow, Stratford, and Bromley-by-Bow at a point where the London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham meet. It is a triple-level junction where the East Cross Route, Bow Road, and Stratford High Street meet. The River Lea runs underneath the junction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protected intersection</span> At-grade road junction in which cyclists and pedestrians are separated from cars

A protected intersection or protected junction, also known as a Dutch-style junction, is a type of at-grade road junction in which cyclists and pedestrians are separated from cars. The primary aim of junction protection is to help pedestrians and cyclists be and feel safer at road junctions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safety of cycling infrastructure</span> Overview of bicycle safety concerns

There is debate over the safety implications of cycling infrastructure. Recent studies generally affirm that segregated cycle tracks have a better safety record between intersections than cycling on major roads in traffic. Furthermore, cycling infrastructure tends to lead to more people cycling. A higher modal share of people cycling is correlated with lower incidences of cyclist fatalities, leading to a "safety in numbers" effect though some contributors caution against this hypothesis. On the contrary, older studies tended to come to negative conclusions about mid-block cycle track safety.

Cycleway 4 is a fully segregated cycle path in London originally planned to run from Tower Bridge to Woolwich and coordinated by Transport for London. First proposed in 2008 but first consulted on as Cycle Superhighway 4 between Tower Bridge and Greenwich in 2017, the cycle lane has been in lengthy development. The section from Tower Bridge to Rotherhithe Roundabout, and the section on Evelyn Street and Creek Road, has been built as a permanent scheme.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Morgan Sindall awarded £15 million Old Street Roundabout project by TfL". Transport Britain. 2017.
  2. Bartholomew, Emma (29 October 2020). "Old Street roundabout overhaul moves to the next stage as roads change to a new layout". Islington Gazette. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  3. London's Holy Wells Archived 9 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Pop-up shops arrive at Old Street Tube station". Transport for London.
  5. Bradshaw, Tim (29 July 2008). "silicon-roundabout-is-this-the-heart-of-the-uks-new-dotcom-boom". Financial Times blog. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  6. "Silicon Roundabout". The Economist. 27 November 2010. pp. 63–64.
  7. Prigg, Mark (30 July 2008). "Roundabout is London's Answer to Silicon Valley". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 27 September 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  8. Coleman, Jasmine (4 March 2011). "Safety concerns for cyclists on Old Street roundabout following crash". Hackney Gazette. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  9. Coleman, Jasmine (24 February 2011). "Old Street crash: woman cyclist critically ill". Hackney Gazette. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  10. Marshall, Tom (16 February 2011). "Cyclist injured in City Road crash". Islington Gazette. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  11. "Old Street roundabout accident: "Life-changing injury"" . Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  12. "Revealed: Radical plan to transform Old Street roundabout into pedestrianised square". 12 November 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  13. "Female cyclist, in her 30s, hit by lorry at busy roundabout in east London". Evening Standard. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  14. "Have your say on transforming Old Street roundabout – Results Updated 2 Oct 2018". Transport for London. 2019.
  15. "Old Street roundabout". Transport for London. 2019.

51°31′33″N0°05′15″W / 51.5257°N 0.0875°W / 51.5257; -0.0875