Holborn Liveable Neighbourhood - Now live!
We want to transform Holborn into a place for people with attractive, healthy, accessible and safe streets for everyone! We want you to breathe clean air, with more plants and trees, in beautiful new and improved spaces. We want it to be easy and fast to get around by sustainable and healthy types of transport. Together we want to see Holborn and it’s communities, businesses and visitors thrive.
Fin out more on the project by exploring our dedicated website where you can also have your say on the ideas for the project and sign up to our e-newsletter.
Holborn project 2021 - 2023
October 2023
We started work on the second phase of work completed in November 2024. Watch our video to get an idea of the changes. We sent a letter (PDF) locally to advise on the changes which included:
- Reducing Drake Street & Procter Street to one lane of traffic and one bus and taxi lane, to allow space for a segregated cycle track. Bus stops and stands will be relocated and consolidated.
- Allowing two-way cycling in and out of Red Lion Square.
- Adding a “cycle gate” (where cyclists have their own signal and move at a different time to the rest of the traffic) on Procter Street at the junction with High Holborn and a separate signalised cycle lane on High Holborn, approaching Procter Street, to provide further road safety benefits for people cycling.
- Adding ‘cycle early releases’ (where cyclists get a green light before other traffic) and bigger cycle boxes (where cyclists can wait at traffic lights ahead of other traffic) at the junction of High Holborn and Southampton Row, with ‘two-stage right turn’ facilities, and buff-coloured surfaces at pedestrian crossings.
- Extending the existing southbound bus lane (which can also be used by taxis and cycles) on Southampton Row from Catton Street through the junction to 20m south of High Holborn. The bus lane would operate 24 hours a day as far as Remnant Street.
- Relocating the existing loading bay on High Holborn to the west by 50m, with loading permitted 24 hours a day.
- To the east of Procter Street, loading will be permitted on the north side of High Holborn between the hours of 7pm-7am, but parking will not be permitted. Outside of the hours of loading (7am-7pm) a cycle lane will be in operation.
- Providing loading on Procter Street on the approach to High Holborn, permitted 7pm-7am.
- Improving the look and feel of the area by adding planting including rain gardens. This will also reduce to risk of flooding and improve biodiversity.
- Introducing two way cycling on Catton Street where traffic can only travel one way.
- On Fisher Street, introducing a westbound exit onto Southampton Row for cycles only, as well as improved directions for eastbound cyclists to improve the connection to Red Lion Square and also to provide an alternative southbound route from Southampton Row to High Holborn that avoids the Theobalds Road/Drake Street junction.
August 2023
We are going to be constructing the changes in phases to reduce the disruption locally. We will start phase one from 5th August:
- Increasing cycle boxes from 5m to 7.5m at the junction of Theobalds Road and Drake Street
- Changing the ahead & right turn lane on Kingsway north to a right turn only into Remnant Street
December 2022
Cabinet approves the proposed changes following the consultation in November.
October 2022
With the latest tragic death of a cyclist in Holborn, in March 2022, it is imperative that we make more changes to reduce the risk of injury or death around High Holborn, Drake Street and Procter Street. This is an opportunity to make other “Healthy Street” improvements in this area, including better pedestrian facilities, adding plants and trees, and giving bus journeys more priority.
Consultation launched on changes to High Holborn, Drake Street and Procter Street: High Holborn, Drake Street & Procter Street - closed 11th November 2022
May 2022
Completion of works around Southampton Row. Read the press release on the completed works.
January 2022
We started construction on the improvements including:
- New sections of segregated cycle track northbound and southbound on Southampton Row
- A new “cycle gate” southbound on Southampton Row at the junction with Theobalds Road. This is where cyclists are held at a red signal while motor traffic flows through the junction first, and then cyclists get a green signal to enter into an enlarged cycle box area so they can then move before the motor traffic
- New cycle boxes (Advanced Stop Lines) for cyclists in all directions providing safer spaces for cyclists
- An “early start” at traffic lights for cyclists
- The ability for cyclists to turn right in two steps (stages) on all approaches. A two stage right turn allows a cyclist to more forward from when signalled, before waiting in a safe designated area before turning right
- A bus, cycle and taxi lane southbound between 150 Southampton Row and the junction with Theobald’s Road running 24 hours per day with two loading bays available (10am - 1pm and 8pm - midnight)
- A bus, cycle and taxi lane southbound between the junction of Southampton Row and Catton Street running 24 hours per day with no loading provision
- An extended eastbound bus, cycle and taxi lane from Vernon Place to 124 Theobalds Road. The bus, cycle and taxi lane will be 24 hours per day between Vernon Place and the junction with Lamb’s Conduit
- A relocated Bus Stop X on Theobalds Road to the south of the junction to provide even spacing between stops and to allow cyclists easy access to the segregated cycle track
- A newly realigned and widened pedestrian crossing on Vernon Place
- A new left turn for cyclists from Southampton Row into Vernon Place
- Removal of the pedestrian guardrail
November 2021
We ran a public consultation on further proposed changes at Southampton Row and Theobald’s Road junction to help make it safer for cycling with segregated cycle tracks, bus lane improvements and improved traffic lights for cyclists.
We had 229 responses and following the consultation made the decision to implement the proposed changes. We made some changes to the proposal based on comments you made in the consultation. This includes increasing loading bay size by a further 10m outside 112 to 110 Southampton Row and extending the loading times along Southampton Row (from 10am - 12pm, 8pm - midnight to 10am - 1pm, 8pm - midnight).
October 2021
Following a tragic fatality, we made immediate temporary changes to the junction to reduce the risk for cycles. Read the decision report.