Traffic calming won't stop rat-run speeders on 'dangerous' Grimsby road, says former driving instructor

“I've had no response from my so called councillor, Jane Hyldon-King.”

“Time to start writing more letters of objection then, and get this one stopped!”

“"The previous scheme, due to be completed in March 2011 that was blocked by the incoming Labour administration was a much better scheme ainly because it did not have any speed bumps. There were 1200 leaflets distributed to inform residents of the scheme, and a series of public meetings were held that attracted 50-60 local residents to each meeting. NELC received 2 (yes two) written objections to the scheme, so the scheme was stopped.

This scheme has been adopted after consulting 200 residents, responses were received from50 of them (25%), and only 35 (70%) of them were in favour of the scheme and 15 (30%) were against it, but never mind - Labour were elected to lead the council and they know best!"”

“Yawn - a rat run from where to where! Get a life - if people are breaking the current law then prosecute - if not then its just about a group of whingers who want to stop local traffic. Another 30k of wasted taxpayers money to pacify a minority interest - hey but isn't that the whole reason d'être of the current administration!”

“And I guess all the other mini roundabouts have been designed for motorists to use correctly. Just go look at them and see where the white paint has worn or completely disappeared because motorists don't use them correctly!”

“To: jane.hyldon-king@nelincs.gov.uk

Re: Broadway Traffic Calming Measures

Dear Jane,

I am extremely upset about the traffic calming measures you are proposing on Broadway, and the way it has apparently been "consulted" with residents that you are apparently representing.

I am a resident of Laceby Acres, and my children attend Western Primary School. The first I have heard about the plans is what I read on thisisgrimsby.co.uk on the day of your second of two consultations. By that point, the second meeting had taken place! Surely, to get a balanced view of residents and parents, this should have been advertised at the schools, and every household been informed in writing?

I agree that the road is a "rat-run", that there are many speeding drivers using the road AND that something needs to be done, but to install speed bumps in the road when there are many less irritating and destructive alternatives, I STRONGLY object to their installation. If it is announced that this plan is to go ahead, my house will immediately go on the market. I will not live in an area where I have to drive daily over humps that ruin my car's suspension, and you will have four less constituents to worry about.

Please can you tell me why you felt it not to be in all the residents' and parents' interests to be invited to your first two meetings?

Please can you tell me what happened to the previous plan involving chicanes which had been approved and agreed, and was due to be installed this year, and why your plan is now apparently superior to that plan?

Please can you tell me when/if the next meeting will be taking place?

Thank you.

--
Best regards...”

“People do put forward alternatives but they are rarely listened to Jonathan because Mr Poucher and his department have two things in mind - money and speeding. I can understand the money part because every department is short of cash and there are other things to spend it on. The speeding part I do not understand because the road safety engineers are always like little Dutch boys plugging the next hole in the dyke.

Everywhere you look at the measures taken to reduce speed they have caused another problem. The hold ups on the main southern artery Weelsby Road were made far worse by placing islands on it for example. Grimsby Road is one huge bottleneck in the summer because the carriageway has been narrowed so much. Both of these have cause people to look for rat runs that bring more danger than there was on the original main road. You could write a book on each of the attempts to please the anti-vehicle lobby and soft soap the locals as in Laceby.

The really sad part of this is that the speedsters are a tiny minority of drivers and most of the really bad speeding is directly connected to another crime like car theft or drunk driving. Yet everyone suffers once the engineers get their claws into a local complaint.

The town is crying out for a proper transport plan that is going to help us to develop the local economy and jobs. The Select Committee won't be doing that, it will be joining in with the engineers as they go running to one mini-crisis after another.”

“I was of the understanding that all the residents in Laceby Acres were consulted.I now believe 200 residents were consulted,25% replied which is 50 residents, 70% of the 50 were in agreement,70% of 50 is 35.So only 35 residents are in favour of the scheme. Does not take a lot of sense to see that no one wants it. Now if speeding is still a problem,the police should be involved.The law is being broken. You could ask for a ( NO THROUGH ROAD) sign (ACCESS ONLY). Speed camera is another option and there again maybe Balfour Beaty need the money.”

“Yeah safe bet indeed, what does this prove?

I don't have an alternative and as I mentioned previously, I am happy to go with the solution proposed by NELC.

Wayhay! Someone has proposed an actual alternative, why don't you ring NELC and put forward your idea to Mr D'Souza? He may be able to give you some reasons why it wouldn't be practicable, or maybe he will agree with you. Who knows. Worth a try?”

“jonathan gtfc, yes, and i`ve got the paperwork to prove it”