Issue - meetings

Report ES13059

At the Leesons Hill/Station Road junction with Sevenoaks Way a right turn ban was introduced during the Chislehurst road bridge closure. The bridge reopened in November 2012 and a decision was taken in April 2013 to maintain the ban to assist traffic flow along the A224 - at least until completion of the Nugent traffic signal scheme planned for autumn 2013.

Requests had been received from some residents to remove the right turn ban as local journey time had increased and the ban was causing localised inconvenience. Accordingly, the Portfolio Holder asked officers to investigate alternatives to the right turn ban.

Options were presented on alternatives to the current design; officers recommended Option 2 as providing the greatest benefits. An estimated cost for each option was also provided.

Councillor Ellis as a Cray Valley West Ward Member held a number of meetings with residents. She referred to drivers circumventing the current right turn ban by using adjacent/local roads. Acknowledging a reduced level of congestion on the A224 as a result of the ban, Councillor Ellis favoured investment to improve the road - two lanes ahead in both directions - and a dedicated right turn lane in each direction (Option 2). This was recommended by the Head of Traffic and Road Safety and if approved, the carriageway would be widened accordingly. The option would also provide a pedestrian crossing stage on each arm of the junction so providing less risk of accidents compared to options for a roundabout. Although accidents at roundabouts tend to be less serious in view of slower speeds, roundabouts also had disadvantages if the flow from the different arms was too uneven. If it was necessary to proceed with a roundabout, the Head of Traffic and Road Safety recommended Option 1B.

In view of pedestrian crossings adversely affecting traffic flow, Councillor Grainger suggested a consideration of Option 1B without a pedestrian crossing. He referred to a study in Belgium and suggested that both accidents and their severity reduced with a roundabout. The speed of vehicles reduced and traffic flow increased. There were less collisions and a roundabout offered significant benefits in helping reduce vehicle CO2 emissions. As well as being safer, capacity at roundabouts could also be increased. Additionally, Councillor Grainger referred to a Swiss study and to the costs of Options 1A, 1B and 2.

A roundabout was not the preferred approach of officers in the context of pedestrian safety and road crossing. Without a signalised crossing, pedestrians could take risks. Councillor Catherine Rideout enquired of any support for blind and partially sighted pedestrians and the Head of Traffic and Road Safety advised against any scheme without a crossing facility.

Councillor Peter Fortune as a ward Member for Cray Valley East sought to ensure that local residents were properly served - a number of residents travelled out of St Mary Cray to the Cray Valley. He outlined his preference for Option 2. The Assistant Director (Transport and Highways) also advised of an  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6