New consultation launched on proposed 20mph zone.

South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) has abandoned plans to install raised tables at two existing zebra crossings on North Road, despite a majority of consultation respondents saying they agreed with the proposals.

The traffic-calming measures had been put forward for the crossing located near the St Michael’s Centre (by The Green) and a second further up the road near the Trust Rooms.

According to the ‘statement of reasons‘ published as part of a public consultation which ran for three weeks from 17th June 2019, the proposed measures were being made in response to “concerns that had been raised by members of the public and the local councillor”. The stated purpose was to “reduce traffic speeds on the approach to the crossings … and reduce the number of incidents where drivers fail to give way at the crossings”.

A recently published feedback report shows that, of the 64 individuals and organisations who responded to the consultation, 36 (56 percent) expressed overall support for the scheme.

However, the report also shows that the proposals lacked support from two local councillors, with Cllr Ernie Brown commenting that “recorded speed levels certainly do not warrant traffic calming” and Cllr Brian Allinson saying he was “rapidly coming to the conclusion that a 20mph limit is required”.

A response from Stoke Gifford Parish Council claimed the proposed measures would have little impact on reducing speed generally along North Road and asked if alternative measures such as flashing signs could be used.

Following a meeting between council officers, local ward members and the parish council, SGC decided not to proceed with the raised tables and it has now launched a new public consultation on a proposed ‘sign only’ 20mph speed limit on North Road and the surrounding cul-de-sacs.

Justifying the change of approach, officers said: “Current average speed readings support the installation of a 20mph speed limit without the need for physical traffic calming, which would significantly reduce the cost and disruption of the scheme.”

Consultation on the 20mph speed limit proposals runs until Monday 14th October. For further details, visit www.southglos.gov.uk/consultation or phone 01454 864215 to receive paper copies of the consultation material.

This article originally appeared in the October 2019 issue of the Stoke Gifford Journal magazine (on page 14). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to over 5,000 homes in Stoke Gifford, Little Stoke and Harry Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

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Three-way temporary traffic lights are to return to Gipsy Patch Lane next week (from Monday 14th October) – and this time they will be in operation around the clock, i.e. including the morning and afternoon rush hours.

The lights will need to be positioned at the railway bridge and will include the junction with Station Road.

The temporary lights are needed by Wales and West Utilities whilst diversionary work is carried out on the gas main in preparation for the replacement railway bridge next year.

The work is expected to take up to two weeks to complete.

A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Council said:

“It was hoped that this work could be completed without the need for traffic lights but for the safety of all road users this is no longer the case. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your continued patience.”

All shops and businesses on and near Gipsy Patch Lane will be open as normal.

Three-way temporary traffic lights were in operation at the same location for around three weeks in September, but during that period they were only in place during off-peak times.

Photo: Three-way temporary traffic lights in operation at the bridge during September.

More information:

• Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension (SGC)
• MetroBus Extension Build (SGJ)

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If you’ve noticed these green boards recently appear at the Winterbourne Road / Hatchet Road roundabout and wondered what they’re for, here’s an explanation from South Gloucestershire Council, reproduced from a notice displayed on parish council noticeboards around Stoke Gifford.

Background

Collision records show that there is an issue with vehicles on the B4057 over-running give way lines at Hatchet Road roundabout and colliding with vehicles on the circulatory carriageway.

Funding has been prioritised to address this issue by providing visibility screens on the B4057 approaches, to reduce vehicle approach speeds.

Purpose of the scheme

The purpose of the scheme is to reduce the number of collisions occurring, by reducing vehicle speeds on the B4057 approaches. Currently, the very good visibility on the approach to the roundabout means that drivers can make a very early decision as to whether to enter the roundabout or not; consequently, these drivers do not reduce speed significantly, and some misjudge their entry leading to a collision. The provision of screens which reduce forward visibility forces drivers to slow down and wait until they approach the give way line, where they regain visibility, to make a decision on whether to enter the roundabout or not. Such installations have been successful in reducing collisions at similar sites (including A4174 Wraxall Road, in South Gloucestershire).

Proposed scheme

It is proposed to introduce visibility screens on both B4057 approaches to the roundabout. The screens will be dark green in colour and approximately 1.8 metres in height.

Photo: Visibility screen now installed in the central reservation of the B4057 Winterbourne Road on the westbound approach to the Hatchet Road roundabout.

More information and related links

• Design Manual for Roads and Bridges –
  Geometric design of roundabouts, Section 3.45.1 refers [PDF; Warning: Large file]
• Discussion on the SGJ Facebook page
• Discussion: Fences to decrease visibility at roundabouts (PistonHeads)

This article originally appeared in the October 2019 issue of the Stoke Gifford Journal magazine (on page 12). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to over 5,000 homes in Stoke Gifford, Little Stoke and Harry Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

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Work around the Gipsy Patch Lane railway bridge has intensified in recent weeks after the main construction period for the Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension (CPME) began in early August.

Activity close to the bridge has focused on clearing trees and shrubs to permit access to locations where excavation and pile driving needs to take place in order to create load-bearing foundations for the replacement bridge (see visualisation below).

As planned, three-way temporary traffic lights have been in operation at the bridge during off-peak times only since Monday 2nd September. These have sometimes caused long tailbacks along Gipsy Patch Lane, although it has been observed that the one-way flow under the bridge has meant that queues disperse quickly during the ‘green’ phases.

The temporary lights were supposed to be in place for two weeks before being replaced by the intermittent use of stop/go boards, however, it was announced in mid-September that the lights would be needed for at least a further week. The extension was said to be needed to “enable additional work to lower a utility cable”.

An eight-month full closure of Gipsy Patch Lane remains on the cards for early next year, either side of a 12-day closure of the railway line over Easter during which the existing bridge will be dismantled and its much wider replacement moved into place.

The precise dates of the full closure have not been announced, but information on roadworks.org suggests that it will commence on 5th March.

More: Uncertainty over traffic management plans; What happens next? »

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