Finsbury Park Station step-free access

wisteria53

*Further to an old thread sidetracked to a discussion on prams/buggy sizes/children v commuters/buses/tubes ([New Lift for Finsbury Park](http://www.stroudgreen.org/discussion/1531/new-lift-for-finsbury-park-station/)):* I picked up a brochure today at Finsbury Park Station outlining the plans for the lift/ticket hall/gates upgrade. Does anyone know whether this was approved? Was there any public consultation? While I'm in favour of station modernisation, I am a bit worried that the pedestrian access to Seven Sisters Road via the tunnel is going to be blocked off. I frequently use it to transfer from Stroud Green Road buses at Wells Terrace to the bus stops under the bridge or up Isledon Road. It is also the way we use to get to games at the Arsenal Emirates stadium. Brochure copy: [Making your Tube more accessible (Finsbury Park)](http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/finsbury-park-brochure.pdf)

ShaunG

From the leaflet it looks very much as if the tunnel will be blocked off as a thoroughfare for those without tickets. That would be a shame. Also will no doubt cause queues in rush hour at Wells Terrace entrance when a couple of heaving W7s pull up together. But is this plan actually happening? It's not exactly essential improvement work, and I thought we were in the middle of a crisis requiring massive public service cutbacks.

ADGS

Certainly I saw a news item about plans for step-free access at various stations being shelved indefinitely, but Finsbury Park wasn't mentioned by name so I couldn't be 100% sure.

andy

@wisteria53 - I think that was going to be inevitable, really. You can understand the desire to put oyster barriers in - it must be pretty much the last station in zone 2 with walk-in access. Also, the way that they redevelop the City North site might open up new cut throughs over the top.

mapsa

The ticket barriers won't be installed until 2021 <http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/tfl-investment-programme-london-underground.pdf>;

JoeV

...and the lifts as well. TFL cancelled/postponed most of the FP station upgrades, including installing ticket barriers and lifts, last year citing financial difficulties resulting from the collapse of Metronet.

andy

So in 2020, when we are all living under a huge plastic dome, wearing radiation suits everyday and only eating genetically engineered protein pills, we'll still be able to cut through to Seven Sisters Road without pinging our oyster cards.

tosscat

You'll have been on the carousel by then, surely Logan?

wisteria53

Well, by then I should have my OAP travel pass and maybe they will let us oldies go on the Tube for free (*please Mr Mayor*).... or I will have won the lottery so can travel everywhere in London by black cab (*just please*). Thanks all for the links and info.

yagamuffin

Well that's completely different to the last plan I saw about three years ago. That had a big new entrance where City North is with access from Wells Terrace and Seven Sisters.
I guess this is the new revised, cheaper plan.

poxy

I think that was part of the City North proposals.

I'm guessing that the TFL proposals have been put on the back burner partly because City North will likely be made to bankroll improvements to Finsbury Park station and the surrounding area as part of its planning approval.

yagamuffin

As an aside, what exactly is City North anyway? I've lived around here for 7 ish years but never worked out what it is!

graeme

Shurely someone will have invented flying wheelchairs by 2021 and they'll not need to be step-free.

Donna

There's an epetition out to get step-free access reinstated at the station. You can sign it here: <http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/give-us-access-to-finsbury-park.html>;

andy

Quick lesson on making links: 1. Make sure the button below "Format comments as" has checked 'markdown' 2. Put an arrow bracket - one of these < > around your link so http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/give-us-access-to-finsbury-park.html becomes <http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/give-us-access-to-finsbury-park.html>; 3. add your comments. It will be a link

krappyrubsnif

Step-free link access, really.

Donna

Woo-hoo! Thanks Andy. Easy!

ActionVerb

Anyone noticed that the new floor tiling is significantly slippier than before? Slipped a bit a couple of times over the last couple of weeks for the first time in about three years..

ShaunG

Yes, definitely quite slippy on the shiny marbly tiles, especially in the wet. It may be like new shoe soles, they grit up soon and then fine.

Slabber

I think this isn't due til 2020.

Step-free access is really expensive. You spend millions just to install a rarely used lift. It would be much cheaper to get one of the idle staff to carry people.

wisteria53

Slabber, from your comments you must not be (or live with someone) old or disabled, or need to get babies/children and a pushchair onto the underground. I was always dependent on the kindness of strangers when trying to get my twins' double pushchair plus 3 year old down the stairs at Finsbury Park many years ago.

Slabber

For £5m or whatever it costs, you could probably buy everyone who uses the lift a car.