Agenda item
Petition for the review of one way system, Maybank Avenue
This report informs the Committee of a petition seeking a review of traffic arrangements at the junction of Harrow Road and Maybank Avenue as the petitioners are concerned about the impact of the arrangement on (vehicle) journey times for residents and visitors to the Maybank Avenue, Rosebank Avenue, Fernbank Avenue area. The report outlines the results of a review of the situation and concludes that no changes should be made at this stage to the arrangement introduced during 2008.
Decision:
(i) that the contents of the petition and the review of the implemented scheme be noted;
(ii) that the situation be continued to be monitored and that no changes be made to the existing arrangements at the Harrow Road/Maybank Avenue junction at this time.
Minutes:
This report informed the Committee of a petition seeking a review of traffic arrangements at the junction of Harrow Road and Maybank Avenue. The petitioners were concerned about the impact of the arrangement on (vehicle) journey times for residents and visitors to the Maybank Avenue, Rosebank Avenue, Fernbank Avenue area.
Peter Boddy (Traffic Team Leader) started by setting out the background that led to the decision to implement the one way scheme in Maybank Avenue. He then detailed the alternative options that could be considered together with each option’s effectiveness to address the concerns of the petitioners.
He stated that the re-introduction of a simple cross-road arrangement with give-way or stop lines and traffic calming measures would address concerns about access but not the fundamental problem of, chiefly, uncontrolled movements across the junction. The second option of introducing traffic signals at the junction with appropriate signal phasing would facilitate the north-south rat-running through the area thus giving rise to road safety and environmental issues. More importantly, the number of vehicular movements would not justify the introduction of signals and the investment required at a time when TfL (who were responsible for signals in London) were seeking to reduce the use of signals.
In respect of the third option, Peter Boddy stated that the introduction of a mini-roundabout would not wholly address the issue of traffic conflicts and would probably require the existing pedestrian crossing facility to be re-located whilst at the same time encouraging rat-running. The final alternative option involving the removal of the one-way arrangements and banned “U” turn arrangements would simply shift the U turning movements to locations away from the junction where enforcement was not possible or practicable. In addition to the risks of accidents officers could not guarantee that resources would be continuously available for enforcement to the detriment of other locations in the Borough.
With these in view, the Traffic Team Leader concluded that the current arrangement was successfully addressing the road safety issues that previously existed at the junction and that no practicable alternative arrangements that would address both the safety risk and concerns over journey times had been identified. He confirmed that the emergency services had originally been consulted about the arrangements now installed at the Maybanks Avenue/Harrow Road junction and had not since contacted the officers over the arrangements.
Councillor Lorber, ward member, stated that the scheme was introduced in order to overcome the traffic problems and accidents in the area. In his view, the scheme had been successful in terms of accident and traffic reduction although with a slight inconvenience to some residents. Additionally Councillor Lorber added that as the local Sudbury Primary School was being expanded there was every reason to maintain the one way. He therefore endorsed the officer’s recommendation.
RESOLVED:-
(i) that the contents of the petition and the review of the implemented scheme be noted;
(ii) that the situation be continued to be monitored but that no changes should be made to the existing arrangements at the Harrow Road/Maybank Avenue junction at this time.
Supporting documents: