As many of you will know there are plans to change the parking arrangements in Pound Pill and in Station Road. Much of this seems to make sense as it can be chaotic at times in both these areas and also quite dangerous as a pedestrian or cyclist when cars mount or park on the pavements.
Part of the plan involves putting double yellow lines down the west side of both roads with defined parking bays on the east side. One of the effects of this will be to make traffic flow more easily which sounds good on one level but will also mean that the traffic will be moving faster - and in an area where there is a lot of pedestrian movement associated with schools, Jargeau Court and The Pound arts centre.
It is also likely that it will simply push the parking problem elsewhere and I am aware that there are concerns from residents in Grove Road and other areas that those roads would then become the unofficial free car parks for the town centre.
All this will be discussed at the next Corsham Town Council Planning meeting on 24 June at 7.30pm in the Town Hall . Make sure you are there if you want your views heard! Sadly I will NOT be there as I shall be in the middle of Corsham Festival!
It is a national outrage that currently nearly 3,000 people are killed on our roads each year - nearly as many badgers are killed on our roads - and think how often you have seen a dead badger on the roads! Surely anything that can help to reduce this appalling statistic and make our town centres a more pleasant place to live, shop and work at the same time must be good thing.
My view is that there needs to be more of a balance between traffic calming and parking regulation as part of an integrated approach to the whole issue surrounding transport management. There is a recognition that parked cars can actually help to calm the speed of traffic if planned carefully. I am aware from the Community Plan update that concern regarding traffic management and control were among resident's number one concern for the Corsham Community Area.
A very interesting blog I have been following is that of Philip Booth http://www.ruscombegreen.blogspot.com/ - a district councillor for Stroud District Council who has been lobbying for '20 is Plenty' in the Stroud area. 20mph is largely accepted as a way of saving lives, preventing injuries, encouraging more walking and cycling and making our streets more pleasant to live on. This is something that the TransCoCo Transport group could consider as one of its aims - and CCAN, the Partnership for the Corsham Community Area. What are your views on this - would this help to make the streets of Corsham more people friendly and safer?
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3 comments:
The problems I have with on-street parking are 1. people sometimes open their doors in front of cyclists and 2. parked cars can hide small children who might run out from behind them.
Given that there's a school on Pound Pill, unless there's a safe off-road cycle route to school to/from north and south I'd be against allowing any parking along Pound Pill.
Regarding 20mph, I agree. 30mph might well be fine on roads with good visibility, but in a town like Corsham most roads are probably safest at a lower speed. TBH, though, my experience is that the vast majority of drivers in Corsham are courteous and careful - they probably wouldn't drive much above 20 in our narrower roads anyway.
I completely agree that we really do need to look more carefully at ensuring we have a network of safe routes to schools.
I have been working with Alistair Millington of SUSTRANS as part of a Town Council initiative to develop just this and spent a great day cycling around the whole of Corsham with him looking at possible routes. If appropriate funding can be accessed then some of these could become a reality in the near future.
As for speed limits the fact is that is that only one in 40 people who are hit by a vehicle at 20 mph dies compared to one in five at 30 mph. Britain's record for child safety is one of the worst in developed nations and cyclists deaths on our roads continue to rise. Can we justify anything other than 20 mph in the town centre?
Research shows that 20 mph is a critical success factor in promoting walking, cycling and public transport as alternatives to the private car. Lower speeds help create 'living streets' as pedestrians feel more confident about crossing roads, children play more outside and it is quiet enough to hold a conversation.
Yes most drivers are certainly courteous but I have nearly driven of the road on my bike twice recently (both times at mini roundabouts!) when the drivers just saw straight through me.
As for the parking bays – there is almost certainly going to be some limited parking defined in Pound Pill. I do think if these areas are clearly defined there is a better chance of improving the safety of these roads compared with the 'free for all' we have at the moment.
Ah, yes, mini-roundabouts...
Ever since some git pulled out in front of me on a roundabout causing the untimely demise of my first half-decent bicycle I've hated roundabouts of all shapes and sizes except of course those in playgrounds and the '60s children's television show featuring a talking cow and a stoned hippy rabbit.
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