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ITEM TIC19

TRANSPORT IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE – 6 DECEMBER 2002

Introduction

1. Aylesbury Road is the most heavily trafficked road in Thame with average daily traffic in January 2001 measured at 11,471 vehicles. There have been four accidents recorded in the five years ending on 30 June 2002. Three of them were caused by loss of control on the bend near the footpath leading to Priestend; of those, one was fatal.
2. A scheme for traffic calming has been included in the 2002/03 Community Safety (Transport) programme. Two Pelican crossings, capable of future conversion to Toucans so that cyclists will be able to use them, are planned for construction at the same time within the length of road which is to be traffic-calmed. One of them is in the 2002/03 Better Ways To School highway schemes programme, and the other will be partly funded from the Cycling schemes budget.
3. Informal consultation has been carried out on the proposed traffic calming and Pelican crossings as a single scheme. The points raised by the objectors, and the officer comments on each point, are tabulated in Annex 1. This report recommends that the proposed traffic calming measures and Pelican crossings, except for a traffic island outside No. 16 Aylesbury Road, should be constructed. A plan showing the location of the traffic calming measures and the Pelican crossings is attached as Annex 2. (download as .doc file)

Background

4. Because of the heavy flow of traffic, including buses, the use of speed humps and cushions has been avoided. The proposed traffic calming measures comprise a gateway feature and traffic island south of the A418 roundabout, a traffic island on the bend near the footpath leading to Priestend, and enhanced traffic signing and road markings. A further traffic island which would have been outside No 16 Aylesbury Road will be omitted because of objections from residents and the lack of a suitable alternative site.
5. The Pelican crossing which is in the 2002/03 Better Ways To School highway schemes programme is proposed to be about five metres north of the footpath leading to Yeates Close. Quite a large number of school pupils use this footpath, cross Aylesbury Road, and then proceed along the footpath leading to Priestend. Those pupils attend Lord Williams Upper School and St Joseph`s Roman Catholic Primary School. The Pelican crossing should encourage more school pupils to walk instead of being taken by car.
6. The other Pelican crossing is proposed to be about 20 metres south of the entrance to CPM, where approximately 280 people are employed. It will be useful for people who travel to work at CPM or Mill House by bus or on foot and may encourage more people to do so. In the longer term it could be converted to a Toucan crossing, as this is where northbound cyclists would need to cross Aylesbury Road in order to gain access to a proposed cycleway on the east side which would link with cycle routes to Long Crendon and to Haddenham & Thame Parkway rail station.
7. Eleven people have either objected to part of the proposals or asked for alternatives to be considered. However most of them are in favour of the traffic calming as a whole. The points raised by those people, and the officer comments on each point, are tabulated in Annex 1.
8. The officer comments are considered to justify all parts of the proposed measures except the traffic island outside No 16 Aylesbury Road.

Environmental Implications

9. The reduction in traffic speeds will reduce the levels of noise and air pollution. A slight reduction in short car journeys and, consequently, in traffic congestion in Thame, will also contribute to reducing noise and air pollution.

Financial and Staff Implications

10. There is sufficient finance in the Community Safety schemes budget to fund the traffic calming measures, and in the Better Ways to School budget to fund the Pelican crossing near the footpath leading to Yeates Close. The Pelican crossing outside CPM will be funded jointly from the Community Safety Schemes budget and the Cycling schemes budget. The design of the traffic calming and Pelican crossings is being prepared by the County Council’s consulting engineers, Babtie Group, who will also supervise construction.

RECOMMENDATION

11. The Committee is RECOMMENDED to authorise the Director of Environmental Services to proceed with the implementation of the proposed measures.

DAVID YOUNG
Director of Environmental Services

Contact Officer: David Deriaz Tel: Oxford 815666

29 November 2002

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