We, concerned residents of Islington, London, UK, are writing this petition to ask Islington Council to address the unacceptable levels of traffic, noise and pollution on Liverpool Road, and to urgently reconsider its latest proposals that look set to make this problem significantly worse.

Liverpool Road - a once peaceful, residential and school community road has been transformed into a dangerous, busy, and polluted environment following the removal of Highbury Corner roundabout in 2019 and the road closures by Islington Council to create LTNs. Liverpool Road has become the Highbury Corner/Upper St bypass as sat navs direct North-South traffic along here as a quicker route.

Today, Liverpool Road is carrying higher volumes of traffic than the A1 Upper Street as shown in the data released by the Council in the St Mary's People Friendly Street 2023 monitoring report: Liverpool Road (North) 9,337 vehicles, Upper Street (by Canonbury Lane) 8,022 vehicles. 

Upper Street is a main A road designed to carry larger volumes of traffic in and out of the city - it has red routes, limited parking and is mainly commercial. Liverpool Road is a B road and classified by the Department of Transport as a minor road. Around 2,600 residents live on or adjacent to Liverpool Road, including a high proportion of vulnerable people - half are living in social housing, 17.6% are disabled, 1 in 5 are under 19 and 10% are 65 or over. There's a cycle lane and residential parking, and a large school with 1400+ children who walk to school and back each day and play sports on their school roof and playground. These children and residents are breathing in 3 times the World Health Organisation's acceptable levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) plus higher than acceptable WHO levels of particulate matter, increasing the risk of disease-related mortality, cancer, bronchitis, asthma, and lung development issues.

For the past four years, residents have lobbied the Council for safer conditions on Liverpool Road. We have advocated for significantly reduced traffic volumes to ensure the safety and well-being of pedestrians, cyclists, school children, and residents. However, our pleas have fallen on deaf ears as the Council's new Barnsbury & Laycock Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme proposals show. They do absolutely NOTHING to address these concerns. In fact, the plans appear poised to exacerbate the issue by further INCREASING traffic on Liverpool Road.

It is unacceptable that Liverpool Road serves as a bypass for Highbury Corner/ Upper Street traffic, and with so many roads in Barnsbury set to close under the new proposals, it will suffer even more traffic. Meanwhile other roads will enjoy zero traffic and low pollution. Islington Council's motto is 'for a more equal future' so why is it choosing to take such an unequal and unfair approach to the lungs of its residents, children and road users? 

By signing this petition, we demand that Islington Council urgently reconsider its proposals for Liverpool Road. We ask that it puts a stop to through-traffic on Liverpool Road, and reduces traffic volumes by at least 50%. Council designs need to be re-prioritise road users, filter traffic (either by eliminating all non-local traffic or using a virtual barrier to prevent traffic travelling the full length of Liverpool Road), and invest in the health and safety of its residents, pedestrians, school children and cyclists.

Together, let us reclaim our once peaceful neighbourhood by making Liverpool Road safe, healthy, and liveable again!

Sign and share this petition TODAY to make our voices heard by Islington Council.

Update: while the Council's feedback survey for its Barnsbury & Laycock Liveable Neighbourhood scheme closed on 22 October, this petition is still going strong and we hope to achieve 2,000 signatures to get this issue to Council debate. 

Thank you for your support in creating positive change for our community.

SAVE LUNGS ON LIVERPOOL ROAD

Support and connect at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/savelungsonliverpoolroad