Petitioning for a pedestrian crossing - anyone done it?

glasgowdan

AdrianC wrote: »

I wouldn't exactly call that a "blind bend" - especially not since it's a 30 limit... The sightline appears to be about 100m in each direction, which is over seven seconds when travelling at the speed limit.

There doesn't even appear to be a good reason to need a crossing there, as opposed to elsewhere up or down the road. Especially given there's already a traffic-light controlled crossing only 220m away.

Feel free to come and visit. This spot on the road is where most people cross as the road at the junction leads to another part of town. The sight line is well under 100m...Around 50. Don't forget that Google cam is about 10ft high! Crossing from east to west is nerve wracking. But I know you'll disagree... That's what you do best 😎

AdrianC

glasgowdan wrote: »

The sight line is well under 100m...Around 50. Don't forget that Google cam is about 10ft high!

Did you know that google's aerial satellite view has a measuring tool? Simply pick two points, and a straight line is drawn between them, and the distance given. You can easily see whether that straight line impinges on the hedges on the inside of the bend...

glasgowdan

Like I said...Feel free to come and visit. Or take my word for it as an educated person. Or disagree even though you're wrong... Whatever suits mate!

lincroft1710

Common sense would say don't cross the road on a blind bend. If you can demonstrate the need for some form of pedestrian crossing then it would be sited on a piece of straight road, easily seen by drivers.

Perhaps a 20 mph speed limit may be more practical although locally signage for these isn't that clear and often accompanied by so much verbiage that you've passed the sign before you can comprehend it all.

Mercdriver

glasgowdan wrote: »

Like I said...Feel free to come and visit. Or take my word for it as an educated person. Or disagree even though you're wrong... Whatever suits mate!

Speaking as someone who used to be a councillor on a unitary authority, if someone came to me with that attitude, I'm not sure how much support I would give. It would make you an attention seeker rather than someone genuinely needing assistance.

lister

glasgowdan wrote: »

Feel free to come and visit. This spot on the road is where most people cross as the road at the junction leads to another part of town. The sight line is well under 100m...Around 50. Don't forget that Google cam is about 10ft high! Crossing from east to west is nerve wracking. But I know you'll disagree... That's what you do best 😎

I would agree from Google maps that the minimum sight line southbound (the shortest sight line) is about 50m (I make it a bit more - but you can't be precise from the map, so call it 50m for the sake of argument).

50m is, give or take 3m, the highway code stopping distance at 50mph. That's the stopping distance for a 1960s Ford Anglia or whatever car was used when producing the data originally. So modern cars will stop much more easily - leaving a lot of margin for driver inattention (probably partly why the figures haven't been revised).

If someone is driving so fast, or with so little attention and care that they can't cope with someone crossing the road here, it seems particularly unlikely that a pedestrian crossing will help...

The only criteria that makes sense to me for a crossing here would be volume of use, but apparently you already have the crossing patrol at busy times of day. Of course you could always go for the ridiculous approach they have in my neck of the woods - puffin crossings, and a crossing patrol who gets to press the button - shows how much they think of the general intelligence of the local kids...

MikeWhite

glasgowdan wrote: »

Feel free to come and visit. This spot on the road is where most people cross as the road at the junction leads to another part of town. The sight line is well under 100m...Around 50. Don't forget that Google cam is about 10ft high! Crossing from east to west is nerve wracking. But I know you'll disagree... That's what you do best 😎

Be careful - you may end up with kerbside barriers instead of a crossing, to prevent people crossing just there.

Mercdriver

MikeWhite wrote: »

Be careful - you may end up with kerbside barriers instead of a crossing, to prevent people crossing just there.

Indeed. A councillor will ask the Highways department to look into it, and a petition will merely do the same. They will come out to assess the road to see what is best for the road. They might decide that the section in question is unsuitable for a crossing of any sort. Even if 10,000 sign a petition, it doesn't make it suitable.

They could bring in other measures which might hinder or help pedestrian access, but if there is any issue with visibility, they probably won't make pedestrian access easier, as if there is an incident there, they could find themselves partially liable.

forgotmyname

The last thing the Council will want is a crossing on a blind bend. Someone gets run over using it the drive could claim its a stupid place for a crossing.

Probably cheaper and safer to put railings up on the pavement edge instead.

If the crossing is too far down to walk, then walking 1/4 of the way will give you a nice straight stretch to see the traffic easier.

220m from the junction of Myrtle Avenue to the crossing according to google measuring.

Walk down near the COOP, it appears to be a 20mph zone at school times anyway.