Hello.

Recently I have stayed over in your fine town (am moving to whitchurch soon) and I thought I might comment on the subject of traffic speeding through the town.

I'm quite suprised that a fine town like Whitchurch does not have any measures to combat speeding. Having stayed overnight a while ago I noticed that over 50% (well it seemed like it..probably more) of cars blast through the main roads not even caring that a pedestrian may accidently trip into oncoming traffic, I even saw a bus (doing about 50) slamming his brakes on at the zebra crossing outside the white hart.

Having been passed through loads of similar Towns like Whitchurch, I am amazed that Speed bumps have not been installed. They are more effective than prority islands and cameras (which are ugly as well) and would cure the problem overnight..... if implemented well.

Extensions of the limits will make little difference until there is some enforcement, which seems severely lacking, as shown by the speed of many drivers.
A more appropriate solution may be to make the whole town a 20mph zone with some effective controls - cameras, wardens, etc.

Yes, parked cars do slow traffic, but they also have other effects. They cause severe congestion which restricts road use, causing delays, frustrations and dangers. Anyone who wishes to own a motor vehicle should provide somewhere off-road to keep it when not in use. Roads are not designed for storage space for one's personal belongings but are for the essential movement of people, goods and services.

Take London Road as an example, where traffic regularly mounts the pavements to pass, causing both dangers to mums and children walking to school, and damage to the road edges and paving.
In addition buses get delayed causing late arrival at work, and school for many.
The same happens in Church Street, Evingar Road, Bell Street and outside Tescos.

I'd like to know how many of our Councillors, Town and Borough, ever travel using public transport and suffer the delays and unreliable service� - or do they clog our town's roads up too.

A key thing to think of in respect of little towns like ours is that any opportunity to facilitate the viewing of shops and then facilitating proximate parking will lead to extra trade.People whizzing by do not see what is either side.I agree that speeding should be stopped but slow movement is great for the shops.

The motorist that has not a few minutes spare in their life to be stopped for a while is in a sad situation so far as I am concerned.Our local shops are being killed off and I know from my experience of having one that an extra �50 per week of turnover can be the difference between being in business and out of it.

I am always reminded of the small and vital shops in Paris where the highest quality, small shops thrive because the people (and their cars) are there.
In a previous job I used to be involved in car paprks for Waitrose and there a car park space is worth more than you can imagine. I think there is space for a few more on the roadsides in town, the difference in turnover that that wouldbring would be significant.
Graham Burgess

Our local Councillors have 'some' influence - if they choose to use it.
The question was do they clog up the roads too?
Let's add, do they use their influence by lobbying on behalf of residents to improve public transport and to reduce the congestion caused by on-road parking? If so it is not very apparent.
Passing the buck makes you sound like a politician yourself� �

Hello Whitchurch,

Great website!

I'm not a resident of Whitchurch, but no doubt you're aware via the local media about the debacle of the Pack Lane Road Humps in Kempshott - and recently concerning: "Should they stay or go?"? This matter been debated for some time on the www.kempshott.com community website - see thread:� You might like to review recent postings on that weblink... and check out the whole website?!

Referring to Phil's post last October:


Phil - interesting info. Please can you tell me where this info came from? Was it just yourself or info from B&DBC / HCC or your Town Council? I wouldn't class Pack Lane as a "side road" suitable for road humps myself, whilst not an A or B road, more of a "main road / thoroughfare" perhaps?! Anyway... Thanks. I hope to hear from you.�

Thanks & regards,

Simon.

Thanks for that Phil.


Indeed... sad that it is!

I do not believe that more signs and more regulations are the way to go in the Centre. As said, someone who breaks 30mph will also break 20mph and without adequate enforcement and increased penalties, then any legislation is worthless. Please don't get me wrong but putting a few signs up is very often the politicians way of being seen to be doing something.

As is often suggested, the only way to slow a driver down is to remove all so-called safety features from their vehicle and install a spike on the steering wheel facing their chest. That would focus the mind and ensure they drove slowly!

Reducing the Town Centre's limit to 20mph will simply be more regulation. I doubt if much traffic exceeds 20mph speed, so it would be fairly worthless. Have any surveys been carried out? What is the average traffic speed? With increasing congestion it is sure to lower itself anyway.

My own preference is similar to the approach and philosophy of the road designer Hans Monderman, where the aim is directed at road users psychology. He says that road signs are an admission of failure, and if a road designer had done their job properly they would not be needed.

All signage should be removed, and with careful design and integration of paved areas, all traffic, whether walking cycling or motorised would have equal priority.

There are now several examples now in the UK and Europe where this method is proving successful. Whitchurch would seem to be a prime location for the implementation of a similar approach.

I hope those drawing up the plans for improving the town are looking at this option which would return the Town to People.
Who is responsible for this work?
Who are the contacts?

Increasing traffic levels in Whitchurch are unsustainable and with little encouragement to lower the reliance on the private-car, our Town will become worse before it can improve.
Outside the centre another approach can be taken.
These roads (eg parts of Newury Street, London Road, Evingar Road, Winchester Road, Micheldever Road) are already clogged with those who insist on blocking the carriageways (and pavements) with their private vehicles, making essential services like emergency vehicles, deliveries, and public transport more and more unreliable. Drivers should no longer 'expect' to be able leave their personal possessions on a road meant for movement of people, goods and services. If you own a vehicle you should have somewhere off-road to store it. It is a simple concept that already applies to other belongings!

Additionally, much better use could also be made of directing through traffic away from the centre. For a start, Lynch Hill Park should be signposted at each end� - to Overton at the Newbury Road end , and 'to Railway Station/Newbury' at the Gables end.

What Whitchurch needs is a vision that looks at putting 'People' at the centre rather than the motor vehicle.

We need to have our Town back.

kot

First of all note the word "effective". Simply putting in cameras, signs, limits, lights and so on without the back up of enforcement will only have limited success and the lack of a deterrent risks a mockery being made of law and order . However, I still believe that there is a place for lowering limits in outer zone residential areas but it must be backed up - hidden cameras with film in them may help!
Of course the enforcement issue is part of much greater problem in that local services are always being cut (even though we pay more and more), and it would moves into a different discussion.

Secondly, in the last year I have visited some of the sites (in Holland) where the 'Monderman' solution has been implemented and seen first-hand how they have become 'People' focussed rather than 'traffic-ruled'. At one no longer is any traffic mode subservient to another and I understand that accidents have also fallen to zero. A town centre junction that had once been traffic light controlled, and with signs and notices everywhere, had changed into a pleasant place where everyone could mix safely.

Having also been in touch with various road safety officers and a few traffic planners over the last year, I have been coming across so many instances of ill-conceived signage that is positively dangerous to road users, increasing risk of conflict and collisions.
A fortnight ago in one Hampshire town I took a traffic planner around several schemes to show what conflicts had been introduced simply as a result of some paintwork. It was carried out from a cycling point of view and I was quite astounded that he hadn't seen the dangers introduced by putting bicycles on red paint around the outside edge of a roundabout!
He said his eyes had been opened�