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Letter: I wonder if I may ask your motoring correspondent if he would inquire of Shropshire Council’s head of the highway department to publish his reasoning for the stoppage of the centre lane in Smithfield Road, Shrewsbury, caused by the erection of a new traffic island.
Making all the centre lane traffic turn right across oncoming traffic and routing it via the very busy bus station and multi-storey car-park exits will surely add to an already hazardous area crowded with pedestrian shoppers?
Furthermore, the increased traffic volumes waiting at the traffic lights to return to the centre lane in Smithfield Road will result in ever-more delays to the buses by blocking the exit from the bus station.
Shrewsbury drivers are not daft.
I travel almost daily along the inner lane of Smithfield Road and, during the experimental blockage of the centre lane, I was repeatedly cut in front of by the drivers in the centre lane who already knew that their way was blocked by the bollards.
These drivers then swung out again after the bollards.
Is it the intention of the highways department to make this permanent ?
The number of Frankwell pedestrians on the river-side of Smithfield Road who might wish to cross at the site of the new traffic island is minimal as the vast majority use the pedestrian-controlled lights to cross over much more safely; even though the sequencing of the traffic lights for motorists there is an abomination.
I am sure that all your readers will be interested in the highway department’s reply, which I hope, will include the details of past annual highway budgets and the spend already this year at this time of financial restraint.
J A F Fitton
Shrewsbury
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I would love to know what possible improvement this will make to traffic flow and or pedestrian safety. I was cycling through the town at 7.00pm yesterday whilst the work was being completed and even at that time of the evening the tailback was causing gridlock on Frankwell island with traffic backing up past the Majestic wine store on Copthorne bank and out of view over the rise of The Mount.
I look forward to the Traffic survey that shows the town is now griidlocked and that the only conclusion is the northern relief road,or am I just being cynical ?
As a small aside, why do the new pedestrian crossings at the Welsh Bridge , Smithmield Road and Victoria Quay not have a beep function to help children and the visually impaired to cross, I cannot think of a single crossing anywhere like this.
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Ian – There are many crossing throughout the country like this. An audible signal is not used when there are more than one crossings in a small area, because a visually impaired pedestrian may mistake the beep from another crossing for the one they are waiting at and cross when it is unsafe to do so.
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This is no doubt a ploy to make an excuse to bring in congestion charging to help them subsidise the Council’s deficit!
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Council workers need to justify their job by creating pointless work. With consistent reports of government cuts and job losses in the public sector it appears that hierarchies make fatuous decisions when in a panicked and pressured state by increasing their workload to justify their job.
Also, when I eventually managed to pass the latest eyesore on Smithfield road I had noticed that there were (as infamously stereotyped) at least 4 road workers watching their colleagues work.
A completely pointless addition to Shrewsbury’s roads…
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I noticed this the other day and thought the same thing – it’s pointless and dangerous.
There is nothing to cross the road for at this point, all it does is get to and from a fenced off river bank. If pedestrians were looking to get to & from the Welsh bridge or bus station then there are already crossings there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone attempting to cross the road at that point.
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Clowns!
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Claw
You declined toclarify who thhe clowns were, the architects of the changes or the people excercising their democratic right to free speech.
Or are you simply bored and unable to elaborate ?
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The architects of the changes!
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Ian
I was agreeing with your view however, when referring to the ‘architects of the changes’ as clowns my post was deleted by the editor of this site – hence the ambiguity of my post ‘clowns!’
(Pathetic really…..)
Claw
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When this was trialed with a temporary blockage I was repeated cut up, couldn’t get into the right hand lane, held up in traffic as a result of squeezing everyone into one lane by Welsh Bridge junction. So a complete failure – thereby guarenteeing that Shropshire Council would put it in perminantly!
Wait for the one planned on the English Bridge (failed its trial too) which will grid-lock the town completely at both ends!
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On the Council’s website it claims that the trial was a success! I’d like to know on what basis.
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On the basis – that they wanted to do this anyway so their own report and the results are bound to say what they wanted.Does anyone from the Council actually read these comments or are we all wasting our time?
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Ian I could not agree more with your letter. Surely the feedback and the observations made during the test were sufficient to show that the whole concept of blocking the centre lane was completely misguided. I hope that there is a contingency plan for traffic management when, and it is when, a serious collision occurs due to inattentive driving or indeed pig headed driving as is often witnessed on this stretch of road and completely fouls up the traffic flow along Smithfield road. At this time of all council decisions requiring scrutiny as to value for money it would be interesting to see the cost savings highways works such as these works are intended to introduce.
Or is it a means to ensuring even more people boycott the town and drive them to outlying retail parks and shopping centes.
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yes it is very dangerous and makes back logs up passed sixth form at school home time which in turn makes people do silly things and cut u up , i would love to walk or cycle the route but too far and dangerous for two small children with me……but i guess that is the plan of making this blockage , also i bet it has had a great effect on 999 calls getting passed , that was one bit of town which was easy to get out of way fast for them
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Sounds more like its the people in the cars that are the problem, not the traffic system.
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We just want to know WHY? Give us the reasoning behind:
1. The forced turn right on Smithfield Rd
2. The change to the traffic lights sequence at the bombsite – this is a complete disaster. Everything was working fine before.
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I couldn’t agree more, there seems to be no real benefits to it.
As a cyclist who uses Smithfield Road each day it has made it worse as cars and buses try to squeeze past.
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I agree with the point raised by monkey i too regulary travel on this road and have seen very few crossers,but more so agree with carols point the FATAL(?) flaw with this island is that it stops the fast passage of emergency vehicles on this route,drivers frequently part here allowing them to pass rapidly on their way,those precious few seconds saved im sure have saved many lives,was this considered when the idea was put forward?
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Ian makes a valuable point for the rest of us so can I just say ta McAdam
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Once again the Shropshire highways dept prove that they know absolutely NOTHING when it comes to road safety. Sack the clowns and STOP them wasting money and endangering us all.
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I have just traveled from the railway station direction towards the Welsh Bridge to take a look for myself at the problems the above readers have highlighted, and WOW! What a complete shambles this really stupid idea really is.
I suggest that the council employee responsible for making this decision take a similar journey as I have just done, and to see ‘FIRST HAND’ what closing the center lane off has caused.
All traffic from ‘Town Walls’ and ‘Barker Street’ was at a standstill, as was all the traffic from the ‘Welsh Bridge Frankwell’ all trying to get into the one lane on ‘Smithfield Road’
No-one was willing to give way for anyone resulting in the Traffic Lights changing many times, but no movement of traffic resulted as there was nowhere to go.
Stationary traffic as evident on all approach roads to the Frankwell area from Copthorne, Shelton, and Porthill roads.
As far as the eye could see was stationary traffic.
WELL DONE THE COUNCIL, YOU SURE SCREWED UP EVERYTHING YET AGAIN.
My time of travel was 5:45 pm. Today
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I went past it today and the first thought was that it would make traffic jams worst at busy times. Hopefully when the road markings are put down it will make it slightly better.
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How can these faceless idiots waste our money
I thought the council had to cut spending now.
The trial caused gridlock so what was the point of it?.
I use Smithfield road every day,there are never any problems as long as drivers apply common sense and courtesy.
Can anyone tell the readers why someone would need to cross the road at that point?
There are crossings at the Welsh bridge end
and by the Albert pub there is nothing on the river side between the crossings.
So people must have to walk from one crossing
or the other.
What moron failed to figure that out?
Can the council employ someone with common sense and make better use of our hard earned
council tax.
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i think it is for the cycles to cross the road into town , the side by the river is going to be part of the cycle path is it not? I think thats why the flower pots were moved……i think anyway….
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Who’s ridiculous idea was this?????
All I can see is made it much more exciting for the “Boy Racers” who peruse town at the weekends!! They have the ability of racing around the “Chicane” now and see who can get through the gap the quickest!! Did the Council or planners give this problem any thought when putting in the island”!!!
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Jeezzz,
You Salopians sure like a moan don’t ya ?
CHILL , Take a trip to Wotton Bassett next time some lads are brought back home it might make ya realise whats important ! i guess there isn’t much to do in shrewsbury other than whinge every couple of minutes so there is nothing to rush around for anyway ! just sit in the traffic and enjoy your lovely new sculpture by the river !!!
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You are the only one out 22 people who thinks
this lunacy is a good idea.
“nothing to rush around for anyway”
You may not have to, but many of us do so to make enough pay our massive council tax bills. Bet you are employed by the council.
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I suppose we could chill at home & perhaps visit websites for local newspapers in areas we don’t live in. On second thoughts that would be terribly sad of us! Why don’t you get some friends and/ or a life?
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I travel down smithfield road every day at around 7am in order to get to the train station and, even at that time, the changes are proving a nuisance as people for the centre lane have to block the left lane to get where they want to go, this in turn causes an unnecessary queue from the lights and takes much longer to get people where they need to go.
Utterly ridiculous idea when there was NOTHING WRONG with the old system (when was the last time anyone saw an accident because of the old layout?!)
I hope that the Star can help make the views of the public known, after all, we are the ones who use the road every day!
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Another fine mess is Emstrey Island another disaster by the Highways Agency.
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The bus driver on today’s bus said that all Arriva drivers were dead against the idea. The idiocy and stupidity of the council is beyond belief to change a road that works perfectly well to one which will cause traffic hold ups galore , say the drivers.
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I agree with Roadrunner.
Yet another stupid decision by Shropshires highways department.
I noticed a Ambulance stuck in this lane the other afternoon when both lanes were congested. Shrewsbury town will be gridlocked in the up and comming months. Please see sence and get this removed as its dangerous.
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Come on Alice Dilly (head of Highways, Shriopshire Council), take a drive down there yourself and report back to us hard earning tax payers, why you think this is NOT a waste of OUR money.
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I’ve been tipped off by one of my council connections that the island has been installed as a traffic calming measure in preparation for the new cycle lane. It’s going to cause chaos at Christmas.
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This scheme is all about Sustrans and making the town cycle friendly – apparently! But its actually highly dangerous for cyclists too. If they need a crossing point here (and not sure they do) put in a pelican crossing across three lanes – like Barket Street – seems to work fine without the need for an refuge island in the middle.
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I saw this for myself the other day, and was amazed by the stupidity involved in this decision. Its dangerous to drivers, unnecessary for pedestrians, and if it is genuinely intended as a crossing point for cyclists, it will be dangerous to them as well. I had not initially considered the impact on the emergency services as noted above, but that is clearly another valid point, and could also negatively affect public health. And though this pales in comparison to the threat to public safety, this was one of the few roads in town where traffic flows fairly smoothly, even at peak times. Now, well, its just another reason to avoid town at all costs! I guess I’ll have to do my shopping at the expanded Tesco Express in the future, well done Council!
Now that I’ve vented, I’ll be sensible and write my councilor, and I suggest that all other concerned parties do as well.
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i think the changes are good, im a driver, cyclist and pedestrian so i can see all sides, some people only drive (mainly fat lazy people) and they dont understand the other side of the coin with this
This improvement is welcome amongst slim attractive fit people who walk places
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What a very witty comment, just stopped laughing long enough to write this text. Are all cyclists as hilarious as you?
Perhaps cyclists should start paying some road tax then, if they ate going to use the roads paid for by us fat lazy types.
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I can only hope that somebody from the council takes a look at these posts and considers them fully representative of the views of those paying their salaries.
As a motorist, cyclist, motorcyclist and pedestrian I have witnessed enough slfish driving that endagers those not in cars and this will become about the worst place to be on two wheels or feet, I give it a month before there is an accident.
No one is trying tto say it is in any way as serious as the daily experiences in Wooton Bassett as per the frankly odd post says but thhese things slowly effect view and interact with the town , its facilities and indeed the quality of there daily life. Apologies too claw and thanks for the insight on the traffic lights
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Ross, don’t tell me…you’re a PR person from the council aren’t you….:-)
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The town is already cycle friendly, if only you bloody pedestrians would get out of our way and walk in the road !
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It does make it safer for pedestrians to cross the middle section of Smithfield Road.
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Someone on the radio said”This will link Roushill to the Frankwell footbridge”
How will that work?
Oh silly me, obviousley one has to jump off the
bridge onto the pavement and then cross the road simple.
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How has it cost £15.000.00, Please can some body from the council give us hard pressed rate payers a answer.
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Taking into account those views expressed above, and the constant barrage of roadworks that Shrewsbury’s people are subjected to, whether at Emstrey, by Tesco or Smithfield Road, not just once, but time and time again, I only have this point to raise:
now we are under Shropshire Council, with the influence of the boroughs and borough councillors removed for more local areas being replaced with more distant, amorphous members, does it not seem that there is a concerted effort to strangle the life out of the county town? Repressive parking charges, poor public transport, the steady strangulation of car access to the town centre and so on. Is an economically vibrant community really desired, because it is starting to feel like anything but…
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Shrewsburys traffic problems have just been made worse, not only is it going to congest smithfield road and ravens meadows but the idiot who decided to put the new lights in on coton hill has made a right balls up. traffic is now even worse there.
when will this council learn and stop giving in to time wasters who vote tory????
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