WORRIED parents have launched a
campaign to improve safety at a key
road junction in Alresford.
They say the crossroads of Pound
Hill, The Dean and Jacklyns Lane is
so dangerous that negotiating it is
"like playing Russian roulette".
Campaigners want a safe crossing
point for parents and pupils walking
to Perins School, and claim the work
is urgent after a couple of accidents
at the junction in recent months.
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Parents Debbie Hands and Sarah
Sibbald have already collected 100
signatures for a petition urging
Hampshire County Council to
install a crossing.
"I was playing Russian roulette
with the cars and I decided to try
and do something about it," said
Mrs Hands, who has a 13-year-old
daughter at Perins.
"It doesn't even really require a
campaign - it's obvious something
needs to be done about it.
"If you speak to anyone that utilises
the junction they think it's a
nightmare. There's nowhere for the
children to cross, and they come out
from Perins at lunchtime and just
jaywalk across the street."
The 38-year-old, of Arle Gardens,
said the situation was so bad that
crossing was only safe when it's really
busy and cars are at a standstill.
The mother-of-three added that if
money was not an option she would
like traffic lights with a pedestrian
crossing installed. But she dismissed
employing a lollipop lady as a credible
solution.
Cllr Jackie Porter, county councillor
for the Itchen Valley, said: "I
think there should be some way of
crossing safely, particularly as there
are children crossing there every
day and lots of elderly people too.
"There's an urgency there because
there's been two accidents in recent
months. With the number of huge
lorries coming through Alresford,
there's a need to do it before the
winter comes.
"I am conscious that there is a lot
of traffic that comes in and out of
this junction, and it's likely to
increase, rather than decrease.
Cllr Porter said she would take
the issue up with the county council's
casualty reduction team, and
then raise a question at full council
in September.
She added: "Now building is slowing,
developer funding has dried up.
So it's going to have to be funded
straight from the county council's
coffers.
"I think a zebra crossing there
would be a luxury - I'm leaving it
up to the engineers to decide.
"People have suggested a miniroundabout,
but we don't want extra
signs confusing motorists."
Nobody from Perins School was
available to comment at the time of
going to press.
Posted by: Andy Pearce, Bucharest on 2:55pm Thu 24 Jul 08
Perhaps crossing the road at a cross roads is not a particularly good idea! Perhaps crossing further up pound hill or west street would be safer!
[quote]There's nowhere for the children to cross, and they come out from Perins at lunchtime and just jaywalk across the street."[/quote] When I attended Perins pupils were not allowed off the school premises at lunch time, bring back that rule and reduce the problem by 33%!
Perhaps crossing the road at a cross roads is not a particularly good idea! Perhaps crossing further up pound hill or west street would be safer!
There's nowhere for the children to cross, and they come out from Perins at lunchtime and just jaywalk across the street."
When I attended Perins pupils were not allowed off the school premises at lunch time, bring back that rule and reduce the problem by 33%!
Posted by: Emma Visick, Romsey on 12:51am Wed 13 Aug 08
On the one hand, speed is an issue when coupled with the downhill gradient of the road from the Winchester direction into the crossroads at the end of Jacklyns Lane. On the other hand, the entry zone for the 30mph is too far down that hill; if vehicles exceed 30 at this point, then they are already outside the main entrance to Perins and unlikely to be able to break in time if a pedxing were to be located between these points. Perhaps a combination of measures would be successful; move / place the 30mph limit further up the hill and combine it with a speed camera / speed reminder ahead of the pedxing between Perins gates and the crossroads. (No doubt, The Shapla would also welcome an end vehicles colliding with the wrought iron railings outside their doors.)
As regards traffic approaching from West Street, the pedxing outside the Post Office is probably the only viable means of preventing vehicles from exceeding the speed limit down that hill. Along Jacklyns Lane outside the side entrance to Perins, another crossing could assist pupils who need access to the south side of West Street.
Alternatively, if none of these options please, designate the "area" a 20mph speed limit during the "core" hours - to be determined - and point out why. Then, maybe, motorists would be more [quote]quote[/quote] inclined to consider their duty of care having opted to travel through Alresford at these times.
On the one hand, speed is an issue when coupled with the downhill gradient of the road from the Winchester direction into the crossroads at the end of Jacklyns Lane. On the other hand, the entry zone for the 30mph is too far down that hill; if vehicles exceed 30 at this point, then they are already outside the main entrance to Perins and unlikely to be able to break in time if a pedxing were to be located between these points. Perhaps a combination of measures would be successful; move / place the 30mph limit further up the hill and combine it with a speed camera / speed reminder ahead of the pedxing between Perins gates and the crossroads. (No doubt, The Shapla would also welcome an end vehicles colliding with the wrought iron railings outside their doors.)
As regards traffic approaching from West Street, the pedxing outside the Post Office is probably the only viable means of preventing vehicles from exceeding the speed limit down that hill. Along Jacklyns Lane outside the side entrance to Perins, another crossing could assist pupils who need access to the south side of West Street.
Alternatively, if none of these options please, designate the "area" a 20mph speed limit during the "core" hours - to be determined - and point out why. Then, maybe, motorists would be more
quote
inclined to consider their duty of care having opted to travel through Alresford at these times.
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