Stop cars from going too fast (From Worcester News)
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Petition calls for action over speeding drivers
3:10pm Thursday 21st March 2013 in News
By James Connell
SPEEDERS: Matthew Jenkins from the Green Party is calling for safety improvements on Lansdowne Road. 1013263302
THE overwhelming majority of residents have backed calls to make a Worcester road safer from speeding cars.
Almost every one (104 out of 108 or 96 per cent of those asked) backed calls for Worcestershire County Council to launch an investigation into speeding in Lansdowne Road.
The petition stated: “We the undersigned call upon Worcestershire County Council to investigate the speeding traffic on Lansdowne Road, look for solutions to ensure safer speeds and consult with local residents before any physical changes are made.” Signatures were collected on Saturday, March 9, and Saturday, March 16.
Matthew Jenkins, of Nunnery, Worcester, a Green party candidate for St Stephen’s ward for Worcestershire County Council, helped take the petition door-to-door with Neil Laurenson, a Worcester city councillor for the Green Party, and Louis Stephen who also represents the Greens.
The 41-year-old father-of-two said: “The issue of speeding cars on Lansdowne Road really struck a chord with the people we spoke to.
“Something clearly needs to be done to tackle this problem and improve the lives of those living in the area.”
He said speaking to people in the area had given him more idea of the extent of the problem, with residents’ complaints including wing mirrors being knocked off their cars by passing vehicles, families being woken at 2am by the noise of speeding cars and older people telling him they had difficulty crossing the road due to the speeding traffic.
“A few residents suggested to me some ways of combining traffic calming which would also allow better parking for residents such as narrowing the road at some place and forcing drivers to slow down,” he said.
Worcestershire County Council had not responded at the time the Worcester News went to press.
Comments(17)
truth must out
says...
7:39pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Maybe if they didn't park on the double yellow lines they would not get their wing mirrors knocked off.
TDH123
says...
7:54pm Thu 21 Mar 13
CJH
says...
9:21pm Thu 21 Mar 13
cressylock
says...
9:44pm Thu 21 Mar 13
I'll go down our street tomorrow asking if people would like 'lower taxes and to abolish council tax'
Ok there is a difference, but as "truth must out" says, how many accidents have there been? Is this road unsafe? Or are people parking inappropriately?
Malaky
says...
11:42pm Thu 21 Mar 13
cressylock wrote:No, there is just electioneering taking place.
This sounds like a non story. Someone going door to door asking a loaded question, and unsurprisingly people said yes.
I'll go down our street tomorrow asking if people would like 'lower taxes and to abolish council tax'
Ok there is a difference, but as "truth must out" says, how many accidents have there been? Is this road unsafe? Or are people parking inappropriately?
There is no worthwhile conclusion to gain from this story at all.
pudniw_gib
says...
8:02am Fri 22 Mar 13
I live on a similar residential street and have to put up with speeding cars hurtling past. My step daughter was knocked over a few years ago and 2 cars written off as well as van damaged. One vehicle that did damage was doing over 50mph.
Its not just the kids that ride their bikes on paths here, lots of adults do to get out of the traffic, despite the road being a designated cycle route. Its hopeless, council know but dont care enough to take action.
Vox populi
says...
12:34pm Fri 22 Mar 13
pudniw_gib wrote:zzzzz
Same everywhere, inconsiderate motorists in a hurry.. I live on a similar residential street and have to put up with speeding cars hurtling past. My step daughter was knocked over a few years ago and 2 cars written off as well as van damaged. One vehicle that did damage was doing over 50mph. Its not just the kids that ride their bikes on paths here, lots of adults do to get out of the traffic, despite the road being a designated cycle route. Its hopeless, council know but dont care enough to take action.
Thats right, motorists, scourge of the earth, damaging the environment.
Paying their millions in road and fuel tax to prop up the NHS etc...
How dare these people only be trying to get to work to pay more tax.... **** them to the fires of hell....
pudniw_gib
says...
3:11pm Fri 22 Mar 13
Its about time the rights of the pedestrian and cyclist to move about without fear of being run over or forced to use the car themselves was given better consideration.
The car costs us all money, the NHS would be better off for a start if more people walked or pedalled about, due to health benefits. This is to say nothing of the environmental damage and costs of injury that motoring cause.
If you are late its your fault, doesnt give you the right to drive like a pratt in residential areas.
Vox populi
says...
4:19pm Fri 22 Mar 13
Would that be my "low carbon vehicle" that is fine until tax brackets change every year or so. Should I buy a new car just to support this false economy and avoid tax every year? Save a bit of C02 emissions scrap a good car and support the car industry by causing a new one to be built further contributing to C02 emissions. Anyone can see it’s about money/tax not about the environment. Every year a few efficient cars drop out of the free tax bracket…
Many people have no choice but to use a car which it why it attracts more tax/cost than most activities. Personally I would love to see motoring made prohibitively expensive and everyone stop using vehicles. Those who swallow the rubbish environmental propaganda and view the motorist as the devil can watch as the economy crumbles around their tree houses.
Pedestrians have pavements build specially for them and crossings, barriers, bridges etc Just as fine an infrastructure as the motorist does. Cyclists have a nationwide infrastructure of cycle paths…
Nobody is condoning driving like a prat in residential areas or speeding its about the vehement hate for motorists this time whipped up for political gain. You swallowed it all exactly as they expected
pudniw_gib
says...
5:25pm Fri 22 Mar 13
I have to say that while cyclepaths may work for some in this country they are not great and are very much designed with the motorcar in mind, ie get bikes out of the way, taking for granted the usefulness of the bike as very rapid transport for urban use. Most cycle routes are badly thought out in reality.
DarrenM
says...
6:54pm Fri 22 Mar 13
Mr single-issue politics has a long way to go if he thinks this is going to get him elected.
DarrenM
says...
6:59pm Fri 22 Mar 13
XXX.ipetitions.com/p
etition/30mph-landsd
owne-road/
replace xxx with www
MulsanneChap
says...
12:20pm Sat 23 Mar 13
The road is 30mph already which is appropriate for what is a distributor road with frontages. Only traffic calming measures can slow speeds down, but installing these will not only cost money but they will also affect the area because they need to be installed to specification and legislation. Properties, the pavements and on-street parking may be affected to accommodate traffic calming measures. And if people want 20mph, then there is no way this will be self enforcing unless traffic calming is in place.
Or what about, perhaps, if the Police come out and enforce speed limits instead as that's part of their job rather than people expecting the council to resolve all the problems. And traffic calming, or a lower speed limit, will not result in 100% compliance unless there is enforcement.
And the residents that are complaining, I bet many are guilty of doing what they they're complaining about in other roads. It's fine to speed elsewhere, but not on my street.
mauro balbino
says...
12:37pm Wed 27 Mar 13
BadgerMash
says...
2:13pm Wed 27 Mar 13
Driving too close to the vehicle in front is deadly. When done deliberately it is a serious crime - threatening behaviour. It leads directly to more deaths and serious injury than any other driving behaviour. It would be relatively easy to prosecute using existing technology and police procedure. If we want to save lives on the county's roads this should be our first priority. Threatening driving kills.
Marant
says...
4:02pm Wed 27 Mar 13
There are vehicle collisions, but these are mostly at very low speed at the junction with Flag Meadow Walk, or linked to other junctions - the parked cars and sharp corner limit visibility.
The loaded questions asked are typical politicking. When asked if they want to stop people speeding on their road, of course people will say yes - they're not likely to say that they'd rather have more people breaking the law.
My old neighbour used to say that the noise and traffic was terrible - but then again, she was comparing it to the days when it was still a single tree lined street.
The biggest potential danger that I can see is having a children's playground (and therefore more children crossing) immediately downhill of a blind hump-backed bridge. That said, if you don't slow down going over the bridge, you're likely to smash the under-sill of your car, so that helps.
lovelyjubbly says...
6:03pm Thu 21 Mar 13