Blog: Smithfield Road changes? Leave it alone
Thursday 16th September 2010, 4:11PM BST.
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Blog: Can you not just leave things well alone?
First of all, the speed limit on the inner ring road has been reduced from 60mph to 50mph.
Can anyone tell me what that 10mph drop achieves (other than allowing the morons who don’t know what the National Speed Limit Applies sign means to legitimately drive at the speed they were already driving at before)?
I can understand the 40mph on Telford Way, where the pedestrian crossing has been installed, but the rest of it? Why?
But worse than that is the new road layout on Smithfield Road.
Now, as you come through the lights by the Mardol Quay, you suddenly find yourself forced through a bottleneck into the lefthand lane, even if you don’t want to go left, because of the new ‘pedestrian refuge’.
Who’s stupid idea was that? The potential for accidents and traffic jams for the lights on Bridge Street is now huge.
All that’s going to happen is cars stuck in the bottleneck will block the junction and no-one will be able to move anywhere.
And who asked for this ‘refuge’ for the hard done-by pedestrians? Apparently, it’s part of the Sustrans Connect2 scheme to link the walking and cycling route along Smithfield Road with Roushill, Raven Meadows and Meadow Place.
Shropshire Council says it hopes the island will help pedestrians and cyclists cross between the town centre and the riverside.
Well, news flash geniuses: Smithfield Road has a pedestrian crossing at each end and a footbridge in the middle. Exactly how many ways do people need to cross a road?
Why not go the whole hog and build a subway? Or provide all pedestrians with jet-packs so they can fly across the road? Cyclists could all get baskets with their own ET in so they can do likewise.
Admittedly, this plan is a little more ambitious, as it would require the authorities to discover alien life and the alien life would need the gift of levitation and they’d have to be able to live in an oxygen-rich atmosphere.
Forget it. I haven’t fully thought it through and it’s clearly a ridiculous idea. Perhaps I should see if Sustrans needs a development officer…
Rant by David Burrows
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Well said David.
The very same thoughts and comments as mine.
I suggest anyone who feels strongly enough on this matter, does as I did and make a call to the below department, to let them know what they feel about the situation.
Only then will any change of direction be considered.
The more people who make the call the better, as many decision makers at the council will never get to see or hear how strongly opposed they really feel about this crazy matter.
Please remember the person at the end of the telephone is NOT the decision maker, so please keep comments polite and constructive, and request your comments are passed on to the relevant department.
Development Services
customer.services@shropshire.gov.uk
0345 678 9006
Shropshire Council
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Seriously have you ever walked anywhere, or are you just one of these sad people who drive to the shops 5 minutes walk from your house poluting the environment and thinking you rule the roads!!
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Well done what a good article. I’ve had similar thoughts along these lines and come up with the following conclusions :-
A. It allows the authorities to dispose of copious amounts of money from their bottomless pits, thus proving their worth ?
B. It keeps people in well paid jobs.
Where I live there is the remains of a “B” road that is now a dead end post the construction of a Morrisons supermarket.
It’s double yellow lined all the way around ! this renders it completly useless so why not remove some of the double yellows and create some much needed car parking spaces ?
In a neighboring county they have installed rising bollards at an enormous cost ! I personally feel that this town had to have them because two others in the county also had them, so we also had to have them so as not to be out done. The result is that where before we effectively had a cash cow where we could generate more revenue by fining the individuals who broke the law by driving through a pedestrian zone, we now destroy vehicles and pollute the environment with the engine oil that escapes from their impailed vehicles ! This is a real boon for the tourists and mother nature. In 12 months I believe they have destroyed over 100 vehicles including a council owned vehicle. (An own goal so to speak) Never mind “Jo public” will buy a new one.
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