Liberal Democrat councillors have expressed their concerns over the future of bids made to Transport for London to improve road safety in Alexandra and Bounds Green wards. The concerns have been raised following reports that TfL are facing a £64m shortfall in their budget caused by lower than expected revenues from congestion charging. The concern is that the area including Alexandra Park Road (N22), Durnsford Road and Bidwell Gardens could be casualties.

The Council’s traffic management department has been positive about the future of the proposals claiming that both the £99,000 for the first phase of road safety improvements including a zebra crossing on Dukes Avenue, named as the country’s second worst ‘rat run’ last week and the additional £100,000 for improvements to the Dukes Avenue / Alexandra Park Road (N10) area had already been secured.

However, Alexandra ward councillor Susan Oatway, who has been involved in the consultation and development between the local residents and the Council from the beginning, is keen to have confirmation from TfL that the funding required to improve road safety throughout the rest of the ward is secure as originally promised. Subsequently the Council has requested a meeting with Mayor Ken Livingston on the issue.

Despite her concerns, Cllr Oatway (Alexandra) is pressing on with the consultation over the spending of the additional £100,000 on the second phase of safety improvements to the area with the next resident/council officer meeting scheduled for early September.

Cllr Oatway comments:

“No news is good news, but we want assurances from TfL that the Council will have the money to carry out the improvements that the residents and officers have worked so hard for.

“This funding is vital. We know that Duke’s Avenue is a very dangerous road as recent national media coverage has highlighted, but there are rat runs that are just as bad just a few streets away.

“Residents of these areas were assured that they would be next on the drawing board and to withdraw funding for the project would be a travesty.”