By Patrick Leaney
In our October issue we reported on the status of the campaign and petition to reduce speeding and house vibration along Thames Street. Here’s an update on where we are heading with these efforts.
As a result of the petition (which raised well over 300 signatures) a representation was made in late-September in person by the petitioner (Patrick Leaney) and Surrey County Councillor Buddhi Weerasinghe to the Surrey County Council Cabinet for Highways and Community Resilience. A commitment was made at this meeting by the Council to conduct a speed survey along Thames Street. The survey was conducted in December of last year, at three locations over a period of 8 days.
The data showed there is sustained speed-ing above the speed limit. In the area alongside Dax Court for example 50% of all the vehicles exceeded 24 mph, in spite of the speed humps. And at the other 2 selected locations – in areas where the road and pavements are narrow – the data showed speeding also occurred when the traffic flow was 1-directional. This is particularly dangerous for pedestrians because of the narrowness of the road and pavements. Speeds were reduced in these locations when the flow was 2-directional but only because the vehicles had to slow down to pass each other. This presents another dangerous scenario for pedestrians since vehicles also mount the kerb in order to pass!
The Council’s survey was also able to monitor the size of the vehicles along the street and the data showed clearly the 7.5 tonne weight limit was being largely disregarded. Many dozens of heavy vehicles per day were detected, above the number accounting for the TfL buses.
A meeting was held by Buddhi and Pat-rick in February with Duncan Knox, the Council’s Road Safety Team manager and several traffic engineers, mainly to discuss the speed survey. The meeting was positive with the Council acknowledging and recognising the results of the survey, and hence the need to provide more means to encourage lower speeds, and to assess how to restrict heavy vehicles passing through Thames Street.
The Council also recognised that many of the speed humps are significantly steeper than the maximum recommended by TfL for its buses, which weigh in excess of 11 tonnes. The rapid steepness of the humps explains why vibration in the buildings alongside Thames Street is so high even when bus speeds are lower than 20 mph.
Also on a positive note, the Council recently obtained the power to enforce moving traffic violations (in other words fines) on unauthorised heavy vehicles which disregard the 7.5 tonne weight limit. This power has only recently been obtained but Thames Street will be considered as a candidate for the first trials of the enforcement process. Practically speaking it may be months or even a year before this happens but the important point is Thames Street is a likely candidate for this process.
Some of you may also have noticed there are now additional small 20 mph speed limit signs dotted along Thames Street. These were recently installed as a first outcome of the options to raise awareness about the speed limit. The next steps in this long-running saga will be to paint 20mph roundals on the road, to smooth some of the steeper road humps and then eventually to install Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) – which are triggered by vehicles travelling at excess speeds. These improvements are supported by the Council but as always are subject to budget constraints, so the timing and means of installation are unclear. As noted by Buddhi:
“The important thing is that the Council has recognised and supports the need for these changes. I was, fortunately, able to fund the 20 mph speed limit signs which have now been installed, and I will endeavour to work with the Council to find means by which these additional improvements can be implemented, subject of course to proper and timely consultation with local residents”.
To further support this campaign, we urge you to report any incidents or near-misses of speeding, dangerous driving or injury, no matter how small. The Police need to see a pattern and will react to a volume of reports. We know incidents and near-misses are happening almost every day. Don’t wait for a serious accident to happens. Please call 101 to report incidents or you can do it online at surrey.police.uk/report a crime.