Report re Elm Lane Road Safety Scheme

REPORT OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

REPORT TO WEST AND NORTH PLANNING AND HIGHWAYS AREA BOARD

13 NOVEMBER 2007

 

ELM LANE, ACCIDENT-SAVING SCHEME

 

1.0      PURPOSE OF REPORT

 

1.1 To present a road safety scheme for approval, aimed at reducing the accident rate along a section of Elm Lane approximately between Crowder Road and Crest Road. Funding would be taken from the Accident-Saving Block of the Local Transport Plan. The construction of the scheme would span between the current financial year and the next financial year.

      

2.0      BACKGROUND

 

2.1 Elm Lane forms part of the highway network which links the A61 Halifax Road with the A6135 Barnsley Road. This road has been identified as having an accident record of particular concern to the Council. A location plan is attached Appendix 'A'.

 

2.2 Elm Lane is a continuation of Southey Green Road that was approved for a road safety scheme by Board on the 13th June 2006, the construction of which is now complete.

 

2.3       A petition was received regarding the accident rate along Elm Lane (and Hatfield House Lane), and this was reported to Board 13 March 2007.  The report concluded that the concerns regarding Elm lane would be addressed as part of the future planned scheme.

 

Elm Lane looking towards Crowder Road

 

3.0             ACCIDENTS

 

3.1             During the five-year period investigated, there have been 29 reported injury accidents along this route, including 2 serious and 27 slight.

 

3.2      Eleven accidents have occurred at the junction of Elm Lane and Crowder Road/Lindsay Avenue. A contributory factor in some of these accidents was speed.

 

3.3      The route fulfils the agreed criteria for Accident Saving Schemes, meeting the requirements for serious accidents, slight accidents, and child accidents.

 

3.4       It is expected that the accident rate will be addressed by a general reduction in vehicle speeds and improvement in driver concentration, through the scheme now proposed.

 

4.0       THE ACCIDENT-SAVING SCHEME

 

4.1 A plan showing the scheme details will be displayed in the Members' Library and at the Area Board meeting.

 

4.2 The measures comprise speed cushions, central pedestrian refuge islands, and two Zebra crossings, plus a gateway warning feature on the approach from Lane Top.  One of the Zebra crossings would be slightly west of Crowder Road junction.  This has been incorporated as a result of a further petition requesting a crossing in that area, which was reported to Area Board 11 July 2006.  The second Zebra crossing would be located near the shopping centre along Elm Lane.

 

4.3 The opportunity is also being taken to address a long-standing problem of shortcutting along Hereward Road, by the provision of a point road closure.  The Council has received concerns from members of the public numerous times over the years, regarding traffic bypassing the busy Lane Top traffic signals by using Hereward Road.  In the past, it has not been possible to identify funds to address this.  The traffic calming scheme may exacerbate this problem unless measures are incorporated in the scheme such as a closure.  It is thought a closure would be appropriate, rather than road humps which might not be sufficiently effective in deterring drivers and which would also be costly.

 

4.4      Officers are aware that emergency vehicles from the Fire Station located along Elm Lane may have had difficulty negotiating some aspects of the scheme; therefore, the scheme has been adapted in view of the Fire Service's comments (milder cushions outside the fire station etc.), so that emergency vehicles should be able to travel through without undue problem.  Originally we were including a mild hump at each proposed Zebra, and another elsewhere, which the Fire Service objected to.  These have been deleted, and additional cushions have been incorporated to compensate.

           

5.0      CONSULTATION  

 

5.1             Early in 2007, plans of the preliminary scheme were delivered to the frontages of Elm Lane and Hereward Road and comments invited.

 

5.2             The consultation process prompted many useful comments, some of which Officers have been able to take into account and have consequently resulted in modifications to the original scheme.  Appendix 'C' outlines some of the comments received.  If Board approves the scheme, the final design will be publicly displayed in conjunction with a summary of the public’s comments and the Council’s response to them.

 

5.3       There was a particularly good response from residents of Hereward Road and the adjoining Crowland Road.  At the time, the closure was proposed at approximately the junction of these two roads.  There was some strong support for this from the residents of Hereward Road, but residents of Crowland Road are generally against the closure near the junction with Hereward Road as it would mean a long detour up to Barnsley Road.  Therefore we are recommending a closure further along Hereward Road, as on the exhibited plan and on the plan included as Appendix 'B', so that Crowland Road residents may access Elm Lane direct.

 

5.4       Details of the proposals have been forwarded to the other emergency services and Passenger Transport Executive for consultation. No objections have been received.

 

5.5       The formal Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) consultation process for the associated double yellow lines will be carried out during the detailed design process by the usual means (advert in the press, and notices on lamp posts).

 

6.0      FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

6.1      The total budget estimate for this accident-saving scheme is £200,000. This figure includes the necessary fees for design and for the construction supervision. It is in the Accident-Saving Schemes programme for 2007/08, although construction may well run over into 2008/09.  The cost is considered to be an appropriate amount that can be made available from the Local Transport Plan under the Accident-Saving Schemes Block.

 

7.0      EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

 

7.1      The reduced overall vehicle speeds, improved crossing facilities, and envisaged improvement in driver alertness would be particularly beneficial for vulnerable road users, for example the elderly and the infirm, when crossing to and from the bus stops, shops and other amenities.

 

7.2 The potential adverse affect of 'vertical' road safety measures on people with physical impairments travelling in vehicles has been considered.  The cushions would affect cars, but discomfort would be minimised by straddling them, and by reducing speeds.  Potentially there are alternative routes that bypass this section of road.  A scheme such as this needs to strike a balance between minimising such adverse affects and reducing the injury accident rate.

 

8.0      ENVIRONMENTAL AND PROPERTY IMPLICATIONS

 

8.1      There are no known specific environmental or property implications.

 

9.0      RECOMMENDATIONS

           

9.1 That the proposals for a section of Elm Lane shown on the exhibited drawing number TM / BN409 / PO1B be approved and constructed.

 

 

John Bann

Head of Transport and Highways                            29 October 2007