In 2004, Caroline Russell conducted a survey with Christine Mabey of Islington Living Streets and local activists from Highbury Fields Association and Highbury Community Association – of pedestrians crossing at the notorious five-way junction between Highbury Grove, Highbury Hill and Leigh Road. Their results were categorical – 92% thought the crossing was unsafe, over half had experienced or witnessed unsafe incidents, and the most popular solution was a zebra crossing.
It seemed like an easy way to make the streets safer, and Caroline and Christine went to Islington Council, but nothing happened. It’s taken an election and over a decade of hard work to get a crossing but finally it is in.
Between March 2015-16, over two thousand children were killed or seriously hurt on Britain’s roads, and 16,350 injured, while across the country the total number injured of any age was a staggering 187,050 people. This is more than convenience for shoppers and residents at this busy junction; it’s about safety, and we’re proud of the part Caroline Russell has played in making our streets safer in Highbury East.
