Londonist: Time Machine

Londonist: Time Machine

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Londonist: Time Machine
Londonist: Time Machine
The Micro-History of a Traffic Island

The Micro-History of a Traffic Island

Everything has a history, and everything is connected.

Matt Brown's avatar
Matt Brown
Jun 11, 2025
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Londonist: Time Machine
Londonist: Time Machine
The Micro-History of a Traffic Island
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Today, I’d like to talk about the history of traffic islands.

We have a lot of them in London. They help pedestrians get across busy roads by offering a refuge between lanes of traffic. Here’s one near Trafalgar Square, tested to its limits:

Image: Matt Brown

We have so many traffic islands in London that, contrary to all expectations, a few of them might …

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