Plans to change one of London’s “most dangerous” junctions have been broadly supported by residents and businesses, though several said they feel safe navigating it already.
TheEast London roads in the heart of Shoreditch have seen 23 collisions – and 27 injuries – in the last three years.
On Monday (July 21) Londoners were invited to share their views on a slew of measures put forward by Transport for London (TfL) to improve safety at the junction connecting Shoreditch High Street, Great Eastern Street and Commercial Road.
To make it safer, TfL is planning to create new “high quality” crossings for cyclists and pedestrians, install new dedicated cycle lanes and widen the pavements to “tackle road danger”.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) visited Shoreditch to ask locals about the proposals and how safe they felt in the area.
Judith Yau, who lives nearby the junction she uses regularly to get to work, approved. “The roads feel too cramped, and drivers are sometimes unpredictable,” she said, while adding that she felt safe on the whole as a pedestrian and liked walking to her office in the city from Shoreditch.
TfL’s plans include removing a slip road which cuts through one of the junction’s pedestrian islands, to give pedestrians more room and make way for a dedicated cycle lane. Product Manager Liberatus Fusi-Akponodo, who commutes to his nearby office but used to work in micro-mobility, supported this idea.
“It creates a bit of a blind spot, and changing it would have been high on my priority list,” he said.
“Although I personally feel safe in the area, I have a high-risk tolerance. London’s transport can be unnerving spaces for different parts of the population, like people who have mobility issues or who just don’t have the confidence to be out on the roads.”
Two bar workers in The Queens Head pub opposite the junction, where two upgraded pedestrian crossings are planned, backed the idea of more cycle lanes, if only to support the explosion of e-cycles in Shoreditch.
“Lime Bikes are everywhere here,” said Assistant Manager Ariana Schiavo.
Her colleague, Adam Khan, agreed the changes were a good idea but said he did not find the roads particularly unsafe. He said: “Honestly, I like the area as it is. It works.”
Up ahead from the junction is the mouth of Bethnal Green Road, which sees many people pass through either on their lunch break or to get to and from Shoreditch High Street Overground station. TfL has also suggested banning left turns coming into this road for all vehicles apart from buses, and putting in new crossing lights with ticking countdowns.
Christy Tilley, who works near Commercial Street and sometimes passes through this road to grab lunch from Pret, did not have much faith in the idea. “If you look at the street you’ll see no-one can really be bothered to wait to cross, can they?”
Thirty-one-year old Kenneth Ikpefura, owner of doughnuts business Puff Puff Man, sells sweet treats from his food van in front of the railway arches. “Banning left traffic seems like a good idea, but it might cause lots more congestion from other places,” he said.
However, in his eyes the roads were generally safe for pedestrians, who were more at risk from having their phones snatched on “rare” occasions.
Ellie Waterhouse, a “keen, confident cyclist”, has cycled through the area for years including when she worked in the nearby Starbucks. She praised the emergence of more cycle lanes, which had helped restore her confidence after being knocked off her bike, and argued that a new one on the High Street would mean fewer bike riders mounting the pavement.
“There’s a false dichotomy between cars and cyclists, and it’s a hard balancing act for TfL. Whether you’re a cyclist or driver, often people talk about being ‘in traffic’, when in fact they are the traffic,” Ellie added.
“I wouldn’t describe this place as very unsafe but I’m more experienced. Big lorries and vehicles can be very intimidating for newbies though.”
Londoners can visit TfL’s webpage for more details and to share their thoughts on the plans.
The consultation period is open until September 12, 2025.
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