06/08/2009 by Steve Tierney.

Speed Variations
Cllr. Nichola Harrison, whose excellent blog is always a great read despite the fact she’s a lib dem , has posted about a road safety campaign in Cambridge City’s Mill Road where the residents and councillors are working towards various measures including (but not limited to) a 20 MPH speed limit. 
 
Now I’m not generally in favour of 20 MPH speed limits - except outside schools - and I’ve blogged about this before.  But that’s not the point of this post.
 
What I don’t understand is how Nichola seems so confident that these measures will get through and be approved?  I can only assume that she is dealing with very different officers to the ones I am dealing with.  This should not be taken as any criticism of our county officers, who I am absolutely sure are dedicated to their jobs and always seem very nice.  But they, or the system in which they reside perhaps, can be hard work.
  
Our own A1101 death trap, fairly clearly one of the worst, if not the worst, blackspots in the entire county presently remains a 60MPH limit, despite years of accident and death and a long history of being very bad news for some people who travel along it.  Proposals by the local action group and by myself as their county councillor that the forthcoming (we hope) new speed camera set a restriction of 40MPH seem to be crashing into a brick wall (no pun intended). 
  
The officers are dead set on 50MPH which the action group feel is simply not going to solve the problem.  I agree with them on this.  The officers quote official rules and statistics and perfectly plausible reasons why the 40MPH may not be possible because of this legislation or that guideline or this ticked box list.  Which is all well and good.  But surely there is a case for looking at each problem area on its own merits?
   
We had to fight tooth and nail (and most of that fighting was done by the A1101 Action Group, I must stress - I’ve come late to the fray) for proper recognition of the problem and for acknowledgement of the need for a Speed Camera at all.  Now, it seems, we have a new battle to get speeds properly restricted.  Why spend the money on a project that will slow traffic by only 10 MPH?  On a stretch of road that claims lives, delivers injury and breaks hearts with fearsome regularity.
   
I very much hope we will be able to convince the officers and decision-makers that they have got this one wrong.  Accident after accident plagues that dangerous stretch of the road alongside Gypsy Lane. 
  
Just yesterday I was driving it myself and was almost hit by a lunatic going too fast, overtaking right on that misleading point that is the center of all the trouble.  My four-year-old son was in the car with me.   If that is not a chilling way to have this problem brought home then I do not know what is.  Shaking with anger and barely-averted disaster I could do nothing but curse the idiot in the other car under my breath and resolve to pursue this fight with more determination than ever. 
     
None of us want somebody, or somebody’s child, to be the victim of some horrific accident.  Smudging the edges of this problem will not solve it and may result in a dreadful outcome.  We need to tackle it properly - and that means proper speed control and enforcement.  Before another tragedy occurs.
      

Posted in A1101, Liberal Democrats | 5 Comments »

10/07/2009 by Steve Tierney.

Black Spots
I was at my first committee meeting for the Fenland Traffic Management Area Joint Committee today in Fenland Hall, March.  On the agenda was an issue which I’ve blogged about before, namely the A1101 Blackspot.  The local action group were at the meeting to present a petition, with a presentation by one of their strong team - Virginia Bucknor. 

And what a presentation it was! 

I found the statistics chilling.  Even though I knew some of this information already, when you see it laid out before you so clearly and starkly I cannot see how anybody could not be ready to pay serious attention.  Which is precisely what the committee did, I’m pleased to report. 

I had my chance to speak on behalf of the people who elected me and I did my best, pointing out that all the residents really want is a speed camera, some clear signage and some trees removed.  It’s not rocket science and it doesn’t have to be too expensive. 

Among the statistics presented was the cost thus far over the last few years to the public purse of accidents on the black spot.  Twelve Million Pounds.  What is the cost to put in a speed camera?  Twenty thousand pounds.  Like I said, it’s not rocket science.  When you do the math you can see that six hundred cameras could be installed for the same amount as the current cost of this death trap to the taxpayer.  Or we could just install the ONE camera we need and save Eleven Million Nine Hundred and Eighty Thousand pounds for other worthwhile projects.  (When I say ‘we’, I mean the nation rather than the council, of course.)

I must add that on principle I’m not a big fan of speed cameras.  I think they are a lazy way to avoid proper policing, do nothing whatsoever to combat careless driving (a more serious cause of accidents than speeding in many cases) and are often just a great way to sting the motorist for a few easy bucks.  But there are exceptions and this is certainly one.  As Cllr. Jonathan Farmer said at today’s meeting: “If the conditions necessary to install a speed camera are not found at this location then somebody needs to look seriously at those conditions - because they are wrong.”  He was right about that.  This junction’s problem is speed and overtaking.  Tackle those two things with a speed camera, some signs and ’no overtaking’ markings and lives can and will be saved.  It doesn’t get much simpler than that!

Sidenote: Regular readers (both of you) might be interested to know I met Cllr. Mark Archer today.  He seemed a very nice guy.  We shook hands.  He didn’t seem to be too upset about my occasional blog criticism of him.  In fact, all in all, I would say he seemed very reasonable.  I’ve said before I suspect he is a nice guy (or else why would so many friends rally around to defend him?)  Seems that was right.  It was nice to meet you, Mark.

Misrepresentations Galore
Val Bolem has given me an ear-bashing (a “virtual” ear-bashing, anyway) about my previous blog post Ghost Passage Revisited.  Val feels that when I used the word “misrepresented” regarding his comments to me about the police I was, in fact, misrepresenting him.  (Confused?  Yeah, me too!)  Since I have no wish whatsoever to do anything like that I immediately amended the blog as he advised and apologised if I had misunderstood our conversation. 

There followed a brief email debate about the dictionary meaning of the word “misrepresented” and the content of our original conversation.  I must point out that where I am quoting somebody verbatim I use “quotes” to show it.  Otherwise, what I write is my personal interpretation of something rather than a blow-by-blow account. 

It is true that Val never used the word “misrepresented” in our conversation, although I would add that I never said he did.  I felt (and this was purely my take on it) that the fact that the original plan Val told me about was different from the final plan the police put out was fairly clearly a misrepresentation as per the dictionary definition of the word.  Val doesn’t agree, which is entirely his right.  Since he doesn’t agree, I amended the blog post immediately rather than have Val unhappy with it.  I hope that seems a quick and reasonable response to Val and any other readers.  Bloggers have a reputation of being difficult and contrary, and while I don’t mind being branded a maverick at times I have no wish to offend anybody.

Posted in Mark Archer, A1101, Cambs. County Council, Leverington, Newton, Tydd St. Giles | 5 Comments »

08/07/2009 by Steve Tierney.

A Little Sunshine
I’ve been getting all sorts of good news this week and I thought it would be fun to share a little of the sunshine. Surrounded as we are by recession and gloom so often it doesn’t hurt to highlight the places where things have gone well. First of all, perhaps blog readers will remember Lisa Goddard? She was the lady who featured on the front page of the local newspaper a couple of months ago, furious about the state of her road and the way vibrations and noise were affecting the quality of life for her and her neighbours. 

I took the case up, joining Lisa’s campaign and talking to the leader of the council, Jill Tuck, about the issue.  To her credit Jill took immediate action, bringing forward planned repairs to the road.  I kept on the case, nudging gentle reminders, but really there wasn’t a lot I needed to do.  The council roads team dealt with the matter swiftly and professionally. 

I’ve just spoken to Lisa Goddard on the phone who expressed her gratitude for all the assistance and support she had been given and was effusive in her praise of local government in this area.  She said that the road repairs were fantastic, that she was surprised by how quickly action was taken and expressed how happy she was to: “Finally get a good night’s sleep.”  Lisa is right, the council reacted very effectively in this case, but she must also take credit for the positive outcome.  She worked hard and was a powerful advocate for her case.  It’s an example of council and residents working together as a team and a brilliant one at that!

Interesting to note, though: When Lisa was unhappy about the state of her roads she got the front page of the local paper in short order.  When she phoned up to tell them how well the job had been done they apparently said they would “return her call”.  She’s still waiting.  Ho Hum.

Meanwhile, another well-known local resident Tony Kiddle has had an ongoing problem with his streetlights.   None of them were working and the council seemed to think the road was “unadopted”.  I took the case up on his behalf and I promised him I would make sure the lights were fixed.  And this week - guess what - the lights were fixed! Yay!  Tony is passionate about a number of local causes and I know I’ll be working with him again on other issues.  But here’s another case of something that needed doing and then got done, thanks to teamwork and a responsive council.

Finally, rumour has reached me that the PCSO’s in Wisbech have been visiting residents of The Crescent and telling them about this “new plan” the police have to avoid full closure of Ghost Passage and only use two gates instead of four.  It sounds very familiar to me.  But never mind.  The important thing is that they’ve listened and are rethinking the idea to meet the resident’s concerns. 

Some people have called me naive because I believe in “local people working together for the good of the community” as expressed in my council candidate leaflet before the elections.  I suppose it does look a little “apple pie and ice cream” if you want to be cynical.  But you’ve just read several cases of exactly that happening in the last month.  These may be small matters in the grand scheme of things, but they matter to people here and isn’t it nice to read good news once in a while?

Posted in A1101, Cambs. County Council, Wisbech, Leverington, Conservatives | No Comments »

15/04/2009 by Steve Tierney.

Local Action To Improve The A1101
The A1101, combining Leverington Road and on into Sutton Road is an infamous blackspot in our area for a number of reasons.The A1101 has too many accidents, too many near-misses, too much speeding and too much dangerous driving along it.  Everybody knows it.  It’s no secret.  The road has grown steadily in traffic flow and usage by heavy goods vehicles over recent years.  It is an important and busy trunk road from Cambridgeshire and into Lincolnshire. 

This week, a petition has been organised by one action group for one area of the road.   You have to admire them because they have fought long and hard to improve awareness of the dangers of the route.  So far, the response from the Powers That Be hasn’t been particularly inspired (in my humble opinion).  A few new signs saying things like: “XXX people have died in the last three years” and “Danger Of Death” or whatever are very dramatic and all, but are just a token response.  We need and deserve more.  It is vital that proper measures are taken before anybody else is killed.  It really is as urgent as that.

(Update: From the Fenland Citizen: Officials have pledged action including new warning signs, re-assessing the bends to see if double white lines can be installed and working in partnership with other agencies to place mobile speed cameras along the stretch.  Okay, that sounds a bit better than just the signs.  But I suspect more still will be needed!  Some traffic calming in built-up areas and some speed cameras would seem to be the least we could do!)

Also this week Leverington Road has made the front page of the local newspaper thanks to the inspired campaign of a local resident, Lisa Goddard.  Pitted with potholes and damage, vehicles thunder along the road causing unreasonable disturbance and discomfort for the residents unfortunate enough to live alongside.

I’ve made these points in writing to Fenland District Council and Cambridgshire County Council and I am now awaiting their response.  I hope the action they take will be speedy and positive.  It really isn’t much to ask that our main roads are kept in a good condition.  I want to be fair though.  Both our district and county councils are generally very good.  There is no reason why they cannot act promptly to address these issues now that the residents and I have raised them clearly and unequivocally.  I am confident this is what they’ll do.  It not… well, we’ll cross that bridge in a couple of months if we come to it.  If I need to put on my fighting gloves (metaphor) to get some action, I will.  I have been encouraged by the response from local councillors over this, though.  It looks like we’re all on the same page.

In the meantime, I’ve emailed Lisa Goddard offering my full support for any protest she wishes to stage (that is within the law, of course).  There is something wonderful about positive local activism.  People who are willing to stand up and be counted are a boon to any community and need our full support when they do so.  If any reader of the blog wants to offer Lisa their help, her number (shown on the front page of the newspaper) is 01945 587195.  I’m sure she’ll be glad of the additional support.

Posted in Fenland District Council, A1101, Cambs. County Council, Leverington, Newton, Tydd St. Giles | No Comments »