Archived decisions

Contact: Geoff Topps, ext 7959 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 Section 5b of the A3 Bus Priority Corridor requires Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) to achieve some of the features and characteristics proposed in the Project Appraisal approved in November 2005. These have been advertised by the Chief Executive and one objection has been received to the proposed TRO to lower the speed limit from 40 miles per hour (mph) to 30 mph. Two other TROs, for waiting and loading restrictions and creation of a bus lane, did not receive objections and can be approved using delegated powers.

1.2 The change in speed limit at this location is not proposed due to a poor road safety record but will contribute to casualty reduction. It provides continuity of speed limits on the A3 Corridor, which complement the narrower traffic and bus lanes that are a feature established on previous sections of the route. There have been some accidents on this stretch of road and lowering the speed limit will help reduce the risk of accidents in the future, especially for pedestrian and cyclists.

2. Background

2.1 The Project Appraisal for Sections 4 and 5 of the A3 Bus Priority Corridor was approved by the Executive Member for Policy and Resources on 4 November 2005. TROs for the bus lane, loading and waiting restrictions and speed limit reduction in each section have been advertised separately to avoid delaying the overall development of the project. The TROs for Section 4a north of Waterlooville have already been advertised and approved under delegated powers.

2.2 TROs are necessary to create shared bus and cycle lanes, a prominent feature of this project that help maintain bus service reliability during peak traffic delays. These are complemented by waiting and loading restrictions to stop any parking in bus lanes; the Police have requested that these be for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to avoid confusion and assist enforcement.

2.3 Along the A3 Corridor the speed limit alternates between 30 mph through town and village centres and 40 mph on the stretches of wide, residential fronted road in between. It has become a principle of the A3 Corridor scheme to rationalise the speed limit to 30 mph for local amenity, improved road safety and to complement both the narrower road traffic lanes and new bus and cycle lanes that have been constructed. The bus operator for the corridor supports this concept since the increase in any journey times between bus stops is more than made up for by the priority features provided.

3. Consultation Period Results

3.1 The three TROs for bus and cycle lane, waiting and loading restrictions and speed limit reduction were formally advertised for 21 days by the Chief Executive. One objection was received about the speed limit reduction, and the details, together with officer's comments, are attached as Appendix 1. The TRO is attached as Appendix 2. A location plan is also attached.

4. Response to Objections

4.1 The objection is from a user of the road rather than a local resident, who objects to the lowering of the speed limit. He feels there is not an accident problem due to traffic speed, so a change is not justified and would be an unfair impediment for car drivers. He makes reference to an old Department for Transport (DfT) document that infers in some cases that lowering speed limits can cause traffic speeds to grow instead of fall, and that raising speed limits can lower traffic speed and reduce the number of accidents.

4.2 This objection is not considered valid since the DfT reference has been withdrawn (the example case studies are 30 to 40 years old) and recent Transport Research Laboratory research shows a clear correlation between faster vehicle speed and an increase in accidents. Although this is not one of the county's high ranking accident sites, there have been some accidents and, following a significant pedestrian accident, safety improvements have just been completed at the Five Heads Road junction as part of the A3 scheme. A reduction in the speed limit would improve safety and reduce the risk of further accidents in the future. Any loss of convenience for car drivers is more than outweighed by the increase in safety and amenity for local residents, pedestrians and cyclists. There is also the very adequate A3(M) less than a mile away.

4.3 Without the reduced speed limit the continuity provided along the rest of the scheme would not extend into Section 5. This would cause some doubt and confusion for drivers, possibly leading to higher speeds on other similar sections of the route. Cyclists would have to be excluded from the shared use bus and cycle lane since there is not enough room to widen the bus lane (and faster vehicles need more room to safely overtake cycles). Moreover, the proposed pedestrian refuges to help pedestrians cross the wide road may need to be made narrower if the speed limit is not lowered, possibly to such an extent that they become too narrow to be used safely and have to be withdrawn.

5. Approval Process

5.1 Details of the objection were provided for the local Member, Councillor Mrs Byrom, to consider and she also feels that the accident frequency here is too low to warrant a speed limit reduction. A meeting on site with project officers and the Police has been offered to discuss her concerns about the speed limit reduction and related features of the A3 project.

5.2 The reduction in speed limit here is being promoted to complement the design and new character of the A3 Corridor as a priority route for public transport. Although not promoted due to safety concerns, the reduction in the speed limit will enhance casualty reduction and generate some safety improvements that will help reduce the risks and the number of accidents, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists. Therefore it is considered that the proposed TRO to lower the 40 mph speed limit to 30 mph should be approved. The impact to traffic speeds and behaviour will be monitored as part of the A3 Corridor project to ensure that they are consistent with the new road layout.

6. Impact Assessments

6.1 A reduction of speed limit over this section of the corridor would have a small effect on traffic journey times, but any inconvenience that this might cause would be outweighed by the safety and environmental benefits. Furthermore, it would maintain consistency of the speed limit regime already established on four other sections of the corridor and uniformity for cyclists to safely share bus lanes with buses.

6.2 Assessment of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act has been considered in this proposal but no adverse impact has been identified.

Recommendation

That under the powers contained in Section 84 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 the section of 40 miles per hour speed limit on the A3 Portsmouth Road, south from the existing 30 miles per hour limit in Horndean to Keydale Avenue junction, be reduced to 30 miles per hour by the introduction of a new Traffic Regulation Order.

1022Rpt/GT