Beware of PR, it can be a disaster
Liberal Democrat Campaigner in Nanpantan Ward Learn more
by David Walker on 30 October, 2009
Nearly everyone who lives in this ward must suffer frustration because of the traffic congestion on Epinal Way. No sensible person wold have designed it that way and there are long term possibilities to solve the problems caused by it. When Ron Lockwood and I raised it at the Area Forum Cllr. David Slater let us know that there was a County level working party considering the possibilities of ameliorating the current problems. I thought it would be sensible at this stage to let our two County Councillors know of ideas that Ron and others have put to me. This is the note that I sent yesterday.
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Peter, David
I have had a number of helpful comments about the problems that are faced by people in Outwoods and Nanpantan when trying to cross Epinal Way at busy times.
This is a County issue and I am happy to work on this with Peter.
At the SW area Forum, David mentioned that there was a study going on about the problems on Epinal Way at present, so David might be able to suggest where theses comments could go.
Because Epinal Way is so congested, particularly during the morning and evening periods there are problems for residents of Outwoods and Nanpantan ward accessing the town centre using either Forest Road or Beacon Road.
1. Traffic on Epinal way is often stationary on the roundabout preventing our traffic from getting across. Junction boxes (yellow hatching) would allow cross traffic to proceed. I often drive in London and this type of box junction is widespread and is respected. It would be very beneficial on the two roundabouts referred to above.
2. Some of the traffic on Forest Road and on Beacon Road needs to turn left. It may take minutes before they are able to join the congested flow along Epinal Way. The direction arrows for traffic on Beacon Road and Forest road indicates that all left turning and straight on traffic is indicated to be in the left hand lane, which becomes very slow moving and backs up anything to over 100 metres. The right hand lane is reserved to right turning traffic, of which there is relatively little. I have raised this informally with County officers who said that the answer is for anyone who wants to go straight on is to take the right hand lane and do a complete circuit of the roundabout. This is not sensible as it increases the flow of traffic on the roundabout, which should be avoided.
I think that a much better solution would be to mark the left hand lane for left turning traffic only and the right hand lane for straight on and right turning traffic.
3. For those who walk into town the problems of crossing Epinal way are very difficult, any gap in the flow of traffic is immediately filled by traffic turning left out of Beacon Road or Forest Road. There have been occasions when I have had to threaten to ram my umbrella up the bonnet of oncomimg cars to make them stop to let me cross, often after waiting for three or four minutes. We need to have pedestrian crossings with Belisha Beacons for people walking in and out of town.
I hope you can pass on these concerns.
Yours
David
2 Comments
I have considered the problems of Epinal Way for some time now. Given that the conversion of the road to a dual carriageway is unlikely for financial reasons, I suggest that measures should be taken to maximise the traffic flow whilst allowing pedestrians safe crossing opportunities. I suggest that the roundabouts at Beacon Road, Forest Road and Shelthorpe Road should be removed and replaced with traffic light controlled crossings with a pedestrian phase. The pedestrian crossings close to these roundabouts should be removed and replaced on the University section with pedestrian crossings where students wish to cross; maybe the accesses to the College and the University should be traffic light controlled too. Finally and most importantly all these traffic lights should be computer co-ordinated to provide a reasonable period of time for traffic to flow freely.
Thanks Tony, I agree, remember talking to friends in Montreal who told me that they tried a roundabout, but it didn’t work so they replaced the traffic lights.
Roundabouts are find for low and medium traffic flows, but useless for high flows, which is why we end up with the nonsense of roundabouts with traffic lights, which are really inefficient.
Many countries use lights, but set them to flashing amber when traffic levels are low, which urges caution and there is a general rule that you give way to traffic coming from your offside.
David