Expert called in over ‘race track’ roadway at Poole harbour (From Thisisdorset)
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Expert called in over ‘race track’ roadway at Poole harbour
5:00pm Tuesday 7th August 2012 in Latest By Diana Henderson
BRIDGE LINK: The new one way road system around Poole’s two bridges
An independent traffic expert has been appointed to review a controversial £930,000 road system feeding the two Poole harbour crossings.
Changing the road network at the heart of the old town regeneration area involved creating a gyratory system, which has variously been described as “a racetrack” and “an accident waiting to happen”.
The system to allow drivers over the Twin Sails Bridge and Poole Bridge included reversing the direction of traffic on Bay Hogg Lane, a new Marston Road linking West Quay Road and West Street, making West Quay Road one-way northbound and West Street one-way southbound.
Unhappy residents took their fight against it as far as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles last year, calling on him to intervene.
Now nine months after the system opened to traffic, Borough of Poole’s economy overview and scrutiny committee has started a review and appointed expert witness Phil Jones, who has extensive expertise in traffic analysis and transport planning.
Bill Constance, chairman of Poole Old Town Conser-vation Group, said his members welcomed the review, having felt the original decision was rush-ed through.
“We have got a race track for cars,” he said. “It’s very difficult to cross the road. It’s just not a pedestrian or cyc-list-friendly place.”
Poole People leader Cllr Mark Howell said speeding up the decision on the nearly £1million scheme to save £200,000 by not having to change the Twin Sails junction twice had been “throwing money away”.
He said the roads were a barrier to pedestrians between the tourist areas of the Quay and new developments proposed along the waterfront of the Back Water Channel.
“It’s an absolutely crucial junction for Poole in the town. It’s what is going to link the regeneration area to the town centre,” he said.
And he described the current system as “an accident waiting to happen”.
Cllr Brian Clements, chairman of the overview and scrutiny committee, said: “We are now in a position to hear how the road system works for people and businesses in the town and want to use feedback to inform the findings of the review.
“The regeneration area will be a new part of Poole town centre that will be here for many years and we need to create a place which future generations will be proud of.”
Anyone wishing to have their say can write to Bridget West, Select Committee, c/o Civic Centre, Poole, BH15 2RU, or email select.committee@poole.gov.uk.
A public hearing will take place on Friday September 7 at the Civic Centre.
Comments(18)
casperella
says...
5:29pm Tue 7 Aug 12
spooki
says...
6:31pm Tue 7 Aug 12
Good luck Bridget, I have a feeling you're about to get a lot of mail....
muscliffman
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6:58pm Tue 7 Aug 12
So that surely means that the well paid Officers the Borough (tax payers) already well pay to do this sort of task are not up to the job? Demonstrably confirmed in this particular instance unless Councillors over ruled their own employees initial recomendations.
To fund this out-sourcing of the remedial work presumably some in-house positions will now be reconsidered.
Oh no! Of course not because this is that bottomless pit of Council-tax money for which their is no need for natural accountability.
TimAFCB
says...
8:38pm Tue 7 Aug 12
master plan
says...
8:42pm Tue 7 Aug 12
ashleycross
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9:17pm Tue 7 Aug 12
Dorset Dude
says...
9:42pm Tue 7 Aug 12
There always has been a gyratory system around West St & West Quay Road however this time it is extended with the traffic flow reversed to fit with the new bridge.
As for pedestrian links - there are puffin crossings available at the Twin Sails Approach junction, another puffin by the National Tyres garage and a pelican crossing near the RNLI
on West Quay Road. Also a Toucan crossing on West Street...
Making both West St & West Quay Road two way in both directions may be a recipe for disaster if drivers try fight their way to the available open bridge while the other is closed. This could be why the council felt a gyratory system must be retained.
I reckon the traffic levels in Poole, even with whichever bridge is closed, is not as severe as Portsmouth - try going to Gunwharf Quays on a Saturday which the roads leading there are always gridlocked. Be thankful West Street doesn't get as choked up as Anglesea Road!
it'sthatmanagain
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11:42pm Tue 7 Aug 12
Morrigan
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6:20am Wed 8 Aug 12
casperella wrote:There is a sign on the approach to the bridge on both sides of it - one is just past the "Robert Rogers" Office block on the Poole side and the other is at the traffic lights outside the "Old Rope Walk" elderly people's dwellings on the Hamworthy side.
I had to get to Hamworthy last week and was looking for a road sign to signify the approach to the Twin Sails bridge. I didn't see one. Equally on my return to Poole I didn't see a sign either. I found the bridge quite by chance. Surely this isn't right?
If you missed both of those, should you even be driving?!!
jobsworthwatch
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7:16am Wed 8 Aug 12
When is the 'Imax twin sails surf reef' saga going to come to an end!
jac62
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7:38am Wed 8 Aug 12
TimAFCB
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9:29am Wed 8 Aug 12
jac62 wrote:I always maintain that roads do not cause accidents - stupid people do.
i on 2 to 3 times have gone through the traffic lights past the st mary's pub heading towards the bridges. and have had to break sharply as some how cars are still managing to come up the now one way system, which i can't understand how they manage it but it is quite frightning :(
You can spend a fortune on making a road as safe as you think it can be, then a moron will be tuning his radio and not concentrating so does see the car in front stop / the cyclist / the pedestrian crossing, so causes and accident. You see old people driving with their faces pushed up against the windscreen, hesitating and un-decided, causing problems for the people following and god only knows what their reactions would be like in the event of an emergency.
More traffic Police patrolling is what we need, not them sat at the side of the road with a speed camera catching people going a few miles over the speed limit. If they were patrolling they would see the poor standard of driving and be able to do something about it!
stevesuk
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9:49am Wed 8 Aug 12
hamworthygirl
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6:43am Thu 9 Aug 12
bornINpoole69
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9:55am Thu 9 Aug 12
TimAFCB wrote:Tim - I was going to say this but you got there first! I totally agree with you.
It is described as an accident waiting to happen. If there have been no accidents in the 5 months the road has been open then the road must be quite safe. There can't be many roads around with a safety record like that!
Dorset Logic
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4:20pm Thu 9 Aug 12
west quay office worker
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3:02pm Wed 5 Sep 12
The junction of West Quay Road and Marston Road is a very scary place for pedestrians. Cars come at speed from two directions. From the bridge direction they're going race-track style with no indication that just around the corner they may need to slow for pedestrians. View of the place we cross is limited for both cars and walkers. A couple of times I've seen a gap, started to cross, then realised a car is coming from the Holes Bay end!
There are 'give way' road markings from the Holes Bay end but these drivers take little notice of a pedestrian waiting to cross.
Many times I've been waiting to cross and there have been tourists shaking their heads saying, 'what a dreadful crossing'.
Another scary situation is trying to cross the main road at the top of Marston Road, to get to New Orchard.
We need a pedestrian crossing on Marston Road!
Old Colonial says...
5:10pm Tue 7 Aug 12
Nice to know that there is money in the pot to pay for 'after the horse has bolted' advice from a London consultant.