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by Lib Dem team on 5 August, 2011
The Council has now sent out letters to everyone on the South Park Road Estate asking for opinions on various traffic calming options.
We flagged this up on this blog a while back, and got some feedback from residents. As a result of that feedback, the Lib Dems asked officers to expand the number of options (including an option to do nothing, as it may well be the case that residents on the estate don’t see the need for any traffic calming and, if that’s the case, the last thing we want to do is to force it on people).
Now all 185 households are being consulted, with the consultation period to run to mid-September so those on holiday can have their say too.
Please reply and let the Council know what you think.
5 Comments
Thanks for the continued interest on this, Iain.
Letter from the Council delivered today. Response in the post
I think that the questionnaire rather misses the point. If vehicles want to go North from the M60 then, unless a new connection is built, they will use our road as a short cut. What is the deterrent? A 20mph limit will make no difference if it is not enforced, speed humps will delay residents more than those taking a short cut. What deters me (and probably you) is a police presence or cameras. So the proposal is to spend money on things which will make no difference, or to do nothing. The latter gets my vote.
Hi Glyn,
If you disagree with all the suggestions then please say so (this is something Pam and I were very clear we wanted, as we’re not convinced any of these options are what residents want).
The Council can’t, of course, offer increased police enforcement – that’s down to the police.
Dear Iain
We have read the Consultation Proposals for traffic calming on the South Park Road Estate of August 2011. We recognise that this is a difficult problem to resolve. We think the most effective way to reduce the traffic’s volume and speed is police activity wherever this is possible, but understand that the police are unwilling or unable to commit to this work.
However, we understand that the capital cost of installing speed limits and humps may be substantial. Perhaps there could be way of way of comparing that with the revenue cost of effective police checks.
The traffic problem is dangerous to road users and residents – during this last weekend, when the A34 was being maintained, we saw cars driving fast against the one-way control (on South Park road itself) and leaving the A34 Southbound to enter the estate against oncoming traffic.
We believe that all 4 proposals for tables, road humps and limits will not materially deal with the problem. Our preference is for Option 4 – a 20mph limit and tables.
We will strongly resist any proposal for humps particularly since they include siting a hump directly outside our home. We believe humps will substantially increase noise and vibration outside our home. Therefore we are now investigating experience in other areas, with road humps, on foundations and structures of houses close to roads with large traffic volumes.
However, we think it would perhaps be better to take a more integrated view of this transport and traffic problem, since it results directly from the wider road network. Whilst we understand these changes or alternatives may be a Highways Agency responsibility, rather than SMBC’s. We believe that it would be better to place calming obstacles on:
· The exit road from the A34 southbound into the estate
· The exit road from the M60 into the estate, currently subject to a stop sign which is often, if not usually, ignored
· The slip road leading to the “tunnel” under the A34 where we have often seen speeding, aggressive traffic
· The “tunnel” entry into the estate (corner of Kingsway and South Park Road) where traffic often ignores the current “give way” sign.
I agree with Mr. & Mrs. Hill’s general comments but cannot agree that any speed limit or table will deter the illegal users of the estate. It is usually impossible to race through the estate anyway, the number of cars that are parked along it at any given time.
The only thing that will do that is police activity – ie., a fine and an endorsement for ‘failing to obey a traffic sign'(whatever the official term is), which used to be the penalty when it was monitored.
The cost of these proposals is probably astronomical and will serve no purpose.
A larger ‘NO ACCESS’ sign on the slip road from the A34 and the M60 onto the estate with Number Plate Recognition cameras at both points, which could be monitored remotely or may even just serve as enough of a deterrant if highlighted sufficiently, would cost much less and maybe have more effect.
Incidentally, I have asked on numerous occasions for a ‘Give Way’ box to be marked on the slip road from the M60 at the point at which we exit the estate after passing under the bridge,is badly needed as sometimes it is virtually impossible to leave the estate. It would certainly be required if the proposed ‘Flip Flop’ light system were to be introduced.