Ringwood Council discusses measures to improve road safety on the A31 (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Ringwood Council discusses measures to improve road safety on the A31
Updated 8:21pm Wednesday 27th February 2013 in News By Will Frampton
This live event has finished
Latest
- Proposals include a review of signage at slip roads
- Merge ahead signs at the westbound Poulner interchange
- Yellow box markings at the A338 Ringwood interchange
- Councillors may press the Highways Agency to reconsider a 50mph limit
- The meeting comes just days after the death of 16-year-old Jade Clark in a collision on the A31 at Ringwood
8:20pm
The meeting has now concluded, that is all from Ringwood tonight.
8:19pm
Recommendations are:
That the council does not accept that there is no case for a 50mph limit as the Highways Agency claims.
That the county council carry out a review of signage.
That proposals for merge ahead signs and bridge signs made by the agency be welcomed, and that the costs for said signs be produced for the council.
That the county council be asked to consider yellow box markings at the A338 Ringwood interchange.
8:02pm
Councillors have voted to send their recommendations to the Highways Agency and the county council.
They have also agreed to recommend that the road is re-classified as an urban road, and to request a meeting with the Secretary of State for Transport.
7:51pm
Chair: The council is not prepared to sit on the response we had back from Highways.
7:40pm
"There can hardly be 10 yards of the road in three miles which hasn't seen an accident," he says.
"Ringwood residents need to use that road to go anywhere else, it is not just for people travelling long journeys."
7:37pm
He says the council should recommend the Highways Agency reclassify the road as an urban road.
It would then require a 50mph limit according to the agency's guidelines.
7:35pm
Cllr Michael Thierry, one of the proposers, has compared the situation to David and Goliath, with the Highways Agency as the latter.
"Ringwood is full of little Davids," he adds.
7:32pm
Cllr Jeremy Heron has reminded the council of the collision which led to the death of Jade Clark on Sunday evening.
He has urged residents to support the council by writing to local MP Desmond Swayne.
7:29pm
Chair Steve Rippon Swaine: "No one here will disagree with that."
7:27pm
Only one speaker from public, Ian Wafen says A31 is "very very dangerous".
He would like to see more lighting and signage in due course.
"There are measures which could be implemented immediately, such as a 50mph speed limit."
7:17pm
Good evening from the Ringwood Gateway. Councillors are starting the discussion now.
Comments(11)
EGHH
says...
8:08pm Wed 27 Feb 13
corozin wrote:Well said. If they get a 50 mph limit how will it be enforced. There will have to be speed cameras for each lane or average speed cameras all of which will need funding. Without 24/7 enforcement it will be pointless. The real problem is the slip roads especially the Fish Inn one which is not necessary.
It didn't take long for the pressure groups to turn this poor girls death into a campaigning weapon for YET ANOTHER reduction in speed limits.
Firstly there is no evidence at all at the moment that speed played any part at all in this girl's death
Secondly a car crushing a motorcycle at 50mph does so in almost exactly the same way as it does at 60mph or even 70mph.
But let's not let facts (or the absence of them) stand in the way of this disgraceful attempt to turn this tragedy into political capital. Personally I'd be ashamed to be doing what some of these "campaigners" are already doing.
Village Idiot
says...
8:12pm Wed 27 Feb 13
RTC has been campaigning for some considerable time due to the very dangerous nature of this particular section of the A31 and may I respectfully suggest that you are not resident here in Ringwood.
One simple suggestion is to shut the Fish Inn access onto the A31, but this throws up other problems within the town centre.
I do hope that when, and it is sure to happen, RTC and the Highways Agency meet, that they both have the common curtesy to ask residents to attend to give a much fuller view of the associated problems this stretch of road causes.
Wesoblind
says...
9:04pm Wed 27 Feb 13
Hessenford
says...
9:42pm Wed 27 Feb 13
I have traveled this road many times in over 30 years of driving and suffered not one scratch because I have my wits about me for the stupid drivers who lane swop every second and also keep my eyes open at these stupid slip roads, i believe the approach to the spur road is perhaps the accident waiting happen every day.
Bournemouth2014
says...
10:18pm Wed 27 Feb 13
SensibleChap
says...
10:43pm Wed 27 Feb 13
1) Close the Fish Inn exit
2) Close the petrol station
3) Put a flashing warning sign on the flyover as you approach the Ringwood exit sliproad to warn drivers that traffic will be joining the A31
A speed limit reduction will not solve the problem!
GodOfNout
says...
11:45pm Wed 27 Feb 13
7:53pm Wed 27 Feb 13
It didn't take long for the pressure groups to turn this poor girls death into a campaigning weapon for YET ANOTHER reduction in speed limits.
Firstly there is no evidence at all at the moment that speed played any part at all in this girl's death
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Excuse me, but did you not see the photos of the moped smashed in half and scattered across the lanes? The picture of her helmet smashed in at the front? If speed wasn't a factor you cretin, what was it? Cos it sure as **** hell wasn't a nudge.
PokesdownMark
says...
11:54pm Wed 27 Feb 13
Wesoblind wrote:Yes this is exactly right. Which makes slip road merging more dangerous. That's more. Not less.
they havent a clue, the wessex way speed limit has made it more dngerous due to bunched up cars and tailgating!
revDavid
says...
8:02am Thu 28 Feb 13
Felpro
says...
1:53pm Thu 28 Feb 13
corozin says...
7:53pm Wed 27 Feb 13
Firstly there is no evidence at all at the moment that speed played any part at all in this girl's death
Secondly a car crushing a motorcycle at 50mph does so in almost exactly the same way as it does at 60mph or even 70mph.
But let's not let facts (or the absence of them) stand in the way of this disgraceful attempt to turn this tragedy into political capital. Personally I'd be ashamed to be doing what some of these "campaigners" are already doing.