Objecting to proposed speed humps?

[onyx39]

My local area is plagued by speed humps, they are a pain in the arse negotiating in the MG, with the exception of one road.
The council have given until the 3rd October for objections, but I suspect it's a foregone conclusion,
Any thoughts on whether it can be stopped?

[onyx39]

Type R Tom said:

I doubt you’d stand much chance of objection on your own; you would need a fair size petition and based on my experience the majority of people want traffic calming outside their houses. I would say around 1 in 50 people want them removed / not installed in the first place.

Also speed cameras have set criteria for installation; chances are your street wouldn’t meet them.

EDIT: Just looked up the road, I would bet the request comes from the school!

That's what annoys me.
The only time that traffic calming would actually be needed, is when the kids are arriving or leaving, and at this time, the way the parents park, you can hardly get down the street anyway.
The rest of Owlsmoor has had speed humps since I have lived there, which is in excess of 15 years. I really do not understand why they are needed now.

[onyx39]

aw51 121565 said:

onyx39 said:

... I really do not understand why they are needed now.

Why not ask your local councillor, for (s)he and his/her colleagues in your ward will (cynically) be asking for them and have agreed to them.

When we had a 'road safety scheme' proposed for this (small) estate and the next (larger) estate, I went to see the plans at the LA planning office. The people I spoke to there were all "well, the local councillors want this... They don't want that... They have agreed to these plans and this is the scheme". The 'scheme' was funded privately by two developers who were building new houses locally; that the larger of the two went bust half way through building their new build and the LA couldn't 'realistically' get any more funds for this 'road safety scheme' from the other developer meant we got a right half-baked jobbie!!

Anyway, your councillors will have agreed this 'scheme' and there will be a ring-fenced budget for 'road safety' which has to be fully spent by 31/3/15 (or the LA gets less for 'road safety schemes' in 2015/6 ) so I suspect this proposed scheme will go ahead .

Going on your local LA's website and particularly the "democracy" pages (look for "council meetings and minutes" or it might be under something like "local area board meetings") will reveal all...

Sadly my locally councilor is a corrupt ahole. The block of flats where I live is served by a road which has a parking problem.
I spent a year liasing with the local council to try to get "waiting restrictions" imposed so that the road would always be passable ( we had a fire in the block a year previously and the Fire Brigade could only just get through)
The council carried out inspections and put a motion forward which was vetoed by the local councilor at the last minute.
He was worried that the problem would only shift elsewhere.
He lives in the next street.
He will clearly be supporting it.

[onyx39]

Rather than "spouting about it", I think you'll find I was looking for advice on a plan of action to stop it.
I have been emailing the local council about it this afternoon.
They have confirmed the following:

The average recorded speed along this stretch of road is 26 mph.
There has been one recorded accident, which involved a cyclist and a parked car. Therefore not speed related.

[onyx39]

OpulentBob said:

I've got some knowledge. Guidance recently changed on what does or does not constitute "traffic calming". (See DfT's "Setting Local Speed Limits" 2013, section 6)

It now covers: Repeater speed limit signs, speed roundel road markings, a combination of both, or physical features such as humps, cushions, pedestrian refuges, bends of a certain radius, pinchpoints. (http://tsrgd.co.uk/pdf/tsrgd/tsrgd2002.pdf Page 418 para 16.2 defines "traffic calming feature")

Is the calming in preparation for a 20mph zone introduction? Most guidance around traffic calming is for the self-enforcement of 20mph limits

Could you ask for 30 roundels to be painted on the road instead of noisy, damaging, high-maintenance cushions? They are cheaper and arguably as effective for the "absent minded" speeder. Mr Innit in his chavved-up Civic will always ignore a limit, it's just with speed humps he will be slowing down to a crawl outside your house (or wherever the humps are located) before roaring away in first, second, third gear with his cherry bomb parping away, a nuisance for all. And this will be 24/7. You will get increased noise from EVERY vehicle that drives down the road, even at more harmless times like 3AM.

Speed humps are genuinely something to be avoided.

Hope this helps

Yours
A highways engineer, and the 20mph officer for a large City.

PS Tom, above, is correct. Everyone wants the effects of the calming, but they don't want the method of calming to be installed outside their front door! It's understandable, I wouldn't want it either.

Thanks Bob,

This is the sort of info I was hoping to get, I will digest properly, and formulate my formal objection accordingly.
In the meantime, Sandhust has a couple of Facebook groups which are very busy, so I am trying to garner support on there (although opinions are divided as you would expect).
I have also emailed the local councilor who lives very close to this road, although I suspect I can guess which side of the fence he will sit.
I know from personal experience that things he does not support are generally stopped.

Below is an email received from Bracknell Forest Council.
Sounds like they are alluding towards a 20 mph limit sadly.

"Thank you for your address and your enquiry.

The decision has not been made, we are consulting the public which ends on the 3rd of October 2014.

The process of the Traffic Regulation Order is to seek the views and support from our local Councillors and Police, prior to the public consultation.



The aim of a lower speed limit is not to bring inconvenience but to help to enhance a sustainable modes of transport environment in encouraging diversion to walking/ cycling to school and a general safety for all road users.



The survey shows an average speed of 26mph along Cambridge Road.

Therefore, to lower the existing '30' speed limit, to '20' mph zone with an introduction of the self-forcing traffic calming features, is considered appropriate.



For information, there was one accident along Cambridge Road which involve a cyclist and a driver near a parked vehicle.



Please contact me, should you like to meet on site"