Town Council traffic topic
| Alice Brander |
👍
9
Thu 18 Nov 2021, 11:51 As a supporter of Speedwatch I have observed that traffic slows for the duration of the monitoring session and accelerates with glee the minute you start to pack up. I’m sorry to say that law breakers don’t learn from being asked politely. There is now years of evidence showing that the most dangerous places in town are Banbury Hill, Sturt Road, The Slade, Woodstock Road and Nineacres. This is indisputable. Danger and ill health to the residents of these roads comes from: 1. Speed; 2. Air quality – 75% of which road transport particulate emissions come from tyre-and break-wear, not exhaust; 3. Noise. We have a climate emergency and a health emergency which need to be addressed through public funding. Public funding will get the most benefit from being directed at these roads. Sadly, the plan proposes addressing this as a part of a budget plan ‘finally and in the longer term’. I have regularly been assured that the 20mph speed limit in the town centre was a pre-cursor to a more detailed plan for the through route roads and so now is the time to address the real problems. I don’t disagree with the items proposed to be done but I disagree with the priority and the order of importance. As the representative of Highways England working with Speedwatch has said regarding these roads. “I feel that CSW should be insistent that any scheme include measures to limit speeds on The Slade, Sturt Road & Nine Acres. Changes to these roads would benefit the largest number of people by delivering the greatest reduction in speeding, we have years of data that indicate that these are the key problem areas so it makes absolute sense to target them first. If annual budget limits are a problem do the work in a phased approach: add more and more chicanes, raised tables, narrowing, etc. over a number of years starting with the worst areas first.” I completely agree with him and I would urge our Town Councillors to be more ambitious in their targets to protect the climate and the health of town residents. |