Do you feel safe cycling in Islington?

Here in Islington, we have the second lowest rate of car ownership in the UK. As a result, Upper Street and its surrounding roads are extremely popular routes for cyclists, as they provide a useful throughfare into the city from many parts of North Lo ndon. We've even been named London's 'top cycling hub'. But last week's horrific collision between a speeding police car and a cyclist, demonstrates the dangers of cycling in central London only too well.

If you take this route into town on your bike, how safe do you feel cycling through Islington? Is enough being done for cyclists in the area?

Many cyclists have complained about safety in several 'blackspots' in Islington, including the junction of Madras Place and Holloway road where a cyclist died in 2008 and the junction around Angel station, where bikes have to compete with six lanes of traffic. This video, shot from the POV of a cyclist riding around Islington, is well worth wartching and shows a few of the most dangerous areas.

But there are reasons to be optimistic about cycle safety in Islington: in January, it became the first borough to introduce a 20 mph speed limit on all residential roads, a move that won praise from Islington's Cycle Action Group.

In another small move towards improved safety for cyclists this week, the council has agreed to remove the pedestrian guard rails at Highbury Corner. This will give cyclists more space to navigate the difficult gyratory system. There's some information here on when the rails are scheduled for removal.

What else would you like to see them do to prevent further accidents?

Image: Futurescape