suuusssiiieee Posted June 2, 2017 Report Share Posted June 2, 2017 (edited) This somewhat potty project far from improving safety will in my opinion do the exact opposite. I base this thought on observations seen by myself in the town centre. The removal of the traffic lights in lieu of raised humps raises more questions than answers - Does traffic give way to pedestrians? Are they obliged to do so? What happens when large groups of say cruise passengers face crossing the road? - Your going to get a snarl up of traffic as they are (hopefully) allowed to cross. The hump at the bottom of Church road will be an unfriendly help to large coaches or lorries aiming for some momentum in getting up the steep brae, emissions will no doubt increase in this area, you couldn't make it up. Iv'e also seen cars actually move into the centre of the road to avoid the red speed bumps outside the Alexandra Buildings, and as for the red strips going across the road, well that just plain baffles me! I sadly predict someone will get seriously injured or god for bid killed due to this idiotic scheme. Edited June 2, 2017 by suuusssiiieee Wha wida tout and Urabug 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berserker Posted June 2, 2017 Report Share Posted June 2, 2017 Have to agree with you here. I've seen the same with cars and bikes driving in the middle of the road, one car went completely on the wrong side of the road presumably thinking the white triangles meant the ramp was only on his side, and i've seen a huge amount of cars drive on the pavement at the middle of Church road to avoid driving over the hump. This is right beside the disabled parking space. What's with these red and brown swirls? I heard they're 'courtesy crossings'. never heard of those before so I googled it and all I can see is that they seem to lead to confusion. Pedestrians do not have right of way but they are there to aid finding a safe crossing point. I understood they were going to install zebra crossings. I hope they are not going to put in a mix of the two where pedestrians have right of way at one type, but not at the other! That can only lead to confusion and accidents. Especially in a area often full of foreign tourists whose gut reaction is to look the wrong way for oncoming traffic. Sadly have to agree with your fear that this will lead to a higher accident rate. Wha wida tout and suuusssiiieee 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lerwick antiques Posted June 3, 2017 Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 There are more problems now than before. Those coloured parts are going to cause trouble, they have made the road quite narrow at some places, so that will lead to accidents like mirrors being knocked. Zebra crossing, that's a ok idea, but what was wrong with the old crossings? could they no be bothered to fix them? I have stopped going by the esplanade, until it all gets sorted. Be interesting to hear the reports in the coming months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavi Ugl Posted June 3, 2017 Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 (edited) I have to agree with all that's being said. Previously, you just drove from A-B along Church Rd/The Esplanade but now it's a confusing mass of various bumps, chicanes and road markings. I agree 100% that it's now a driving hazard rather than a simple piece of road and I dread to think what it'll be like with 2000 cruise passengers in the area. I also genuinely fear that it's going to lead to a serious accident Edited June 3, 2017 by Kavi Ugl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davie-L Posted June 3, 2017 Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 Look a like our 'educated' and forward thinking council are a bit behind the times. There is a good chance they will have to remove them due to increased pollution!! https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/09/speed-bumps-could-disappear-uk-roads-part-new-plan-cut-pollution/amp/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMouth Posted June 3, 2017 Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 Remember when roundabouts were confusing? Other than the odd case of granny, handbag hanging from the choke, contra-flowing around the roundabout, most people have got to grips with them now. <insert deity> help us if the SIC ever put in a yellow box junction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menkeeeaneahi Posted June 3, 2017 Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 i have not witnessed these latest local government lego on the roads creations i have no plans to either - there was nothing on the street not even a cheap hooker to tempt me there last i checked and installing an automotive obstacle course to get there can only contribute to hell freezing over first before i bother looking again such a shame ex councillor wills no longer drives a renault 4 - shed have made him think he was riding a bucking bronco with their sponge suspension when doing no more than 5 mph over his pet creations they could have saved thermselves all the expense and hassle anyway as theyll have naturally occuring calming measures on most roads in a few years anyway - all they need to do is just continue not spending on maintenance and repair like theyve not spent the last few years - then when the potholes come just not repair them - they calm traffic just fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances144 Posted June 3, 2017 Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 The thing is, I just don't see why they did this. The Esplanade was hardly a rat-run. If they wanted to build road humps, the best place would've been, imho, the road past the Clickmin which will soon have all the school children as well looking for a halfway decent chip shop rather than the canteen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavi Ugl Posted June 3, 2017 Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 (edited) Well, just when I thought it couldn't get any worse it has. They've plastered a heap of roads in Lerwick with that awful looking red covering and the parts I've seen are in the most pointless of places. Harbour Street(of all places) has no less than two and it's even on the South Road at the old Baptist Church. What was an authentic looking old town has been turned into an eyesore. Words fail me....... Edited June 3, 2017 by Kavi Ugl Wha wida tout 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_H Posted June 3, 2017 Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 The thing is, I just don't see why they did this. The Esplanade was hardly a rat-run.It was because people were regularly getting injured here. Apparently, an average of about 2 people per year had been injured along this section of road, according to police records, and that had been the case for the last umpteen years. So the Council decided to do something where folk were actually being injured, rather than where they just might get injured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuckleJoannie Posted June 3, 2017 Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 2 people per year is hardly regular. And according to the SIC report they were minor. I travel along both the Esplanade and the Black Gaet just about every day. I have regularly passed smashed cars on the Black Gaet but I have once seen an accident on the Esplanade in all my years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_H Posted June 4, 2017 Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 Okay, 2 per year isn’t a big number, but these are people injured, not just a bit of bent metalwork on a car. More accurately, the SIC report gave the numbers as 22 injury accidents in 14 years, so while that isn’t quite 2 per year, I cannot think of a word better than regular when it keeps repeating year after year after year. More importantly, what is an acceptable number of people being injured for the Council to say fine, we will just ignore it? Out in other parts of Shetland it only needs to be “an accident waiting to happen” (i.e. no accidents have occurred) to bring on demands for million-pound road improvements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windwalker Posted June 4, 2017 Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 Several questions come to mind and it would be interesting to know: How many of these accidents were caused by vehicles driving over 20 mph? How many accident were caused by vehicles driving in or out of parking spaces?How many accidents were caused by pedestrians crossing the road without looking?How many accidents involved drink or drugs? Etc. Etc. The reason I ask is that the "road improvements" with the exception of speed, will not solve these other issues. The alterations seems to be aimed at reducing the speed from 30 to 20 or under, so if your telling me that most of the 22 accidents were caused by drivers moving at over 20mph then I would agree the work was needed. Somehow I doubt this will be the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urabug Posted June 4, 2017 Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 If they are handing out any accolades for "unnecessary work" this must rank very high,almost certain to win. waarigeo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suds Posted June 4, 2017 Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 (edited) A few 20mph road signs could of saved nearly 300k that could sort a few potholes! Edited June 4, 2017 by suds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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