Plans for major pedestrian safety improvements in Hoxton unveiled
The designs include 17 new or upgraded pedestrian crossings along New North Road and East Road.
Hackney Council has published proposals for a programme of road safety improvements along New North Road and East Road, between Poole Street and City Road, to make the area safer and more accessible for pedestrians.
The proposals include two new raised zebra crossings and eight side-road zebra crossings – the first of their kind in Hackney – alongside upgrades to existing crossings and new raised informal crossing points.
Side road zebra crossings are an effective way to make pedestrian priority clear at busy junctions, slowing traffic and encouraging drivers to give way.
As well as safer crossings, the plans include new paving, tree planting, rain gardens and better lighting to create a greener, more attractive and welcoming public space.
The plans have been developed in response to residents’ concerns about vehicle speeds and a lack of safe places to cross. The changes are designed to address a number of road safety issues, including traffic collisions with vulnerable road users.
The proposals are part of Hackney's plan to eliminate road deaths and serious injuries by 2041. The Council pledges to do this by installing more safe crossing points along key routes, making walking and wheeling easy and accessible for pedestrians, including people with disabilities, by making them step-free.
Hackney already has some of the best pedestrian crossings and overall walking environments in inner London, according to the Healthy Streets scorecard.
This is the first step in the Council’s commitment to go even further, with plans to introduce more crossings in the coming years.
“Walking is the most common mode of transport in Hackney, and we need to make sure that everyone feels safe and confident when they’re moving around our borough.
“Residents have told us that traffic and a lack of safe places to cross are making parts of this road harder to walk around. So these proposals for 17 new or improved crossings are a major step forward in our plans to make Hackney the safest, most walkable borough in London.”
Cllr Jacob Cable, Cabinet Member for Climate, Clean Air, Energy and Transport
A public consultation on draft proposals is open for feedback until Sunday 6 December 2026. Find out more and have your say on the Council’s consultation page.