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Traffic 'horrendous' since puffin crossing installed, say residents (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Traffic 'horrendous' since puffin crossing installed, say residents
5:00pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News By Alex Winter
HUFFING AND PUFFIN’: Rodney Darrington, far right, and other residents from Homelands House in Ferndown, are protesting against plans for an £85,000 crossing on Ringwood Road
A PUFFIN crossing has riled residents in Ferndown just months after it was installed.
Locals say the Ringwood Road crossing, which cost £85,000, is causing traffic chaos and needs to be relocated to somewhere more suitable.
Last year, more than 72 people living at nearby Homelands House retirement home signed a petition to protest against the plans, but building still went ahead.
Resident Sylvia Bolt said something must be done.
“We campaigned against it before it was installed because we felt it was going to be built in the wrong place,” she said.
“It is a duel passing crossing on a single carriageway, so it’s totally unsuitable for the road. We get a lot of Poole traffic along here, as well as large foreign lorries, boats and parked homes, and they just can’t get through. There isn’t enough room.”
Residents’ surveys have deduced that around 20,000 cars a day travel along the busy road, although official figures say the number is more like 15,000.
“The traffic is horrendous,” Mrs Bolt said.
“We do want a crossing, but this is in the wrong place. One lady petitioned for a crossing near her house in St George’s Court, but the decision was made to put it here. I think the new KFC is the only thing benefitting.”
Among the traffic incidents recorded along the road since the installation of the crossing involved a lorry from Spain trapped for ten minutes.
A lorry with a parked home on the back also became trapped in the morning of December 12 last year.
District councillor for St Leonards and St Ives Ann Warman said she had argued against the proposals.
“I just think it was a poorly-conceived idea,” she said.
“I have got a lot of sympathy for residents. I’m not against things there, as long as they are sensitively and intelligently designed.”
Comments(18)
Phixer
says...
5:10pm Wed 6 Mar 13
Remind me not to leave my home parked on the back of any lorries!
speedy231278
says...
5:56pm Wed 6 Mar 13
speedy231278
says...
5:57pm Wed 6 Mar 13
Do you have to duel with the Black Knight before you can pass? Honestly, is this paper written by schoolkids?
BIGTONE
says...
7:01pm Wed 6 Mar 13
Step this way Councillor ...........
Is that cheque book open?
paul.p
says...
7:43pm Wed 6 Mar 13
Tictock
says...
8:12pm Wed 6 Mar 13
GAHmusic
says...
11:34pm Wed 6 Mar 13
Skyrah
says...
7:09am Thu 7 Mar 13
a.org/wiki/Puffin_cr
ossing#section_1
It's an 'intelligent' pedestrian crossing with sensors to detect when people are on the crossing. Few other small differences, but pretty much same as pelican crossing. This one sounds like a bit of a farce tho!
loftusrod
says...
7:13am Thu 7 Mar 13
Why do the councils spend money on schemes like this when there are much more pressing problems to fix; such as the potholes I've had to navigate my way around on my cycle to work.
I'd like to invite a Bournemouth councillor to ride with me on my way to and from work to see what's needed.
BIGTONE
says...
9:25am Thu 7 Mar 13
It's about 20 feet away from the rosemary road junction.
Total tools.
gileto
says...
12:27pm Thu 7 Mar 13
loftusrod wrote:Absolutely! Don't start me on new crossings near existing ones. Poole's doing pretty well there with the new one 60 yards or so from the existing crossing outside the hospital in Longfleet Rd, whilst the roads around are a crumbling hazard to all road users and particularly cyclists. What a waste of money. Not only that but the phasing doesn't help the traffic - I've experienced on more than one occasion already, the lights both being red to road users, and once through the first lights the second lights have gone back to green then red again - not helping the air quality along the road at all - especially for those poor souls having a fag outside the main entrance...
It's obvious it's in the wrong place as it's only a few yards away from the existing crossings at the crossroads. Why do the councils spend money on schemes like this when there are much more pressing problems to fix; such as the potholes I've had to navigate my way around on my cycle to work. I'd like to invite a Bournemouth councillor to ride with me on my way to and from work to see what's needed.
retry69
says...
1:04pm Thu 7 Mar 13
BIGTONE wrote:Not to mention the one at the Kinson Road/Columbia Road junction about 10ft away from the roundabout,absolute madness
Have you seen where the Pillocks have put the new crossing on ringwood road parkstone?
It's about 20 feet away from the rosemary road junction.
Total tools.
EGHH
says...
5:40pm Thu 7 Mar 13
Letcommonsenseprevail
says...
6:13pm Thu 7 Mar 13
Letcommonsenseprevail
says...
6:17pm Thu 7 Mar 13
Hammy1
says...
10:05pm Thu 7 Mar 13
Letcommonsenseprevailol haven't you noticed that this is the average age the of Ferndown population. Again Council Planning are to blame there are too many retirement homes and retirement flats being built and this is pushing the youngsters out. My children are 25 and 22 both work hard but have no chance of buying a decent home in Ferndown. At this rate they will have to wait until I pop my clogs which at 45 I don't plan on going anywhere soon and then they can have my house because this is the only way they will ever own their own home. So all you OAP'S that do nothing but complain about everything if you don't like it you know the answer MOVE. Let the youngsters have your flats.
l wrote:
Why is the average age of the people in the photo about 3.5 centuries? Is this representative of the population of Ferndown? Is it like the town out of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang where there are no children? This should be looked into...........
Letcommonsenseprevail
says...
12:56pm Fri 8 Mar 13
Hammy1 wrote:I'd check your food for poison if i were you!
Letcommonsenseprevai l wrote: Why is the average age of the people in the photo about 3.5 centuries? Is this representative of the population of Ferndown? Is it like the town out of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang where there are no children? This should be looked into...........lol haven't you noticed that this is the average age the of Ferndown population. Again Council Planning are to blame there are too many retirement homes and retirement flats being built and this is pushing the youngsters out. My children are 25 and 22 both work hard but have no chance of buying a decent home in Ferndown. At this rate they will have to wait until I pop my clogs which at 45 I don't plan on going anywhere soon and then they can have my house because this is the only way they will ever own their own home. So all you OAP'S that do nothing but complain about everything if you don't like it you know the answer MOVE. Let the youngsters have your flats.
aerolover says...
5:08pm Wed 6 Mar 13