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Response to petition

Title:	Slow down traffic on Thorley Hill road
Petition Overview:	Although there are markings on Thorley Hill reminding drivers to 'slow' there isn't a single sign, on this busy residential road, asking drivers to adhere to a speed limit. As a result too many buses, and vehicles in general, feel free to speed along this road throughout the day and night. This speeding is especially noticeable during peak periods and, more frequently, at the weekends. here isn't a safe place for pedestrians to cross and it is particularly dangerous for all pedestrians - including the boys from The Bishop's Stortford High School - to cross at the bottom of the road by London Road. With two further schools, this time primaries, close by to Thorley Hill, it makes sense that further measures are put in place to calm the speed of the traffic flow up and down this steep hill and to give families a safe, designated place to cross rather than being made to run the gauntlet with their children in tow. We would like the speed limit to be clear to drivers and for this limit to be 20 miles per hour. We feel there ought to be a safe place to cross the road where Thorley Hill meets London Road and that a pedestrian crossing is added to the light sequence allowing people time to cross or that a crossing is put higher up the road. We believe that this junction should have safety railings on the corners of the road, or metal posts, to prevent cars and buses from mounting the pavement at this junction and to protect bystanders. If it isn't possible to make the above junction safer, then we would like a safe place to cross elsewhere on Thorley Hill - preferably closer to Thorley Park Road as this road leads to all three schools. We are also requesting the regular presence of a lollipop person to guide families across the road at school times - as can be found on quieter roads, than ours, in Bishops Stortford. We would also like to see traffic calming radar signs, speed bumps and speed cameras as this will help to make the road easier, and safer, to cross. The crest of the hill would benefit from painted red lines, to prevent any parking, so that drivers do not have to navigate around stationary cars and risk colliding with oncoming traffic coming over the hill towards them. Lastly, it is also requested that the Highways Agency conduct an investigation into the additional safety measures that may be appropriate to this road.
Relevant Area(s):	Not Specified
Opening Date:	12/03/2015
closing Date:	13/03/2015
Signatures:	252
Petitioner Name:	Helen Johnston

In relation to the request for signs asking drivers to adhere to the speed limit in Thorley Hill, the provisions of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD) 2002 do not allow the use of 30mph repeater signs on roads that are subject to a 30mph limit by virtue of a street lighting system, and for this reason we are not able to erect any such signs on Thorley Hill. This is something that drivers should be aware of as The Highway Code states that 30mph limit usually applies to all traffic on all roads with street lighting unless signs show otherwise. In addition the County Council has run a “Streetlights = 30mph” advertising campaign for a number of years to help reinforce this to drivers. Any requests for speed management schemes would need to be considered through Hertfordshire County Council's Speed Management Strategy (SMS), which is available to view on the website at www.hertsdirect.org/services/transtreets/transplan/ltp/ltp2/speedmanstrat/ . With regard to speed cameras and Vehicle Actuated (VA) signs, regrettably Thorley Hill does not currently meet the criteria within the SMS for such measures to be considered here at the present time. For 20mph speed limits the SMS states that these will only be considered where the 85th percentile speeds are recorded at 25mph or below (the 85th percentile is the speed at or below which 85% of all vehicles are travelling). Speed and volume traffic surveys have recently been undertaken at 2 locations in Thorley Hill which show that the 85th percentile speeds are in excess of 25mph, and therefore put it beyond the scope for further consideration at the present time. Criteria checks have been carried out in Thorley Hill near the junction of Thorley Park Road. Pedestrians are crossing in two places, but it would appear quite possible to encourage them to cross in one position, which would then meet the current criteria for the provision of a School Crossing Patrol. It should be noted that if a new site is established, funding would be required to provide the necessary signage, dropped kerbs and wig wags. Finally, with regard to other requested measures (i.e. traffic calming, pedestrian crossing points, traffic signal and junction improvements, parking restrictions, additional safety measures), County Councillors Leanda Newlyn and Colin Woodward have agreed to jointly fund a detailed investigation from their Highways Locality Budgets (HLB), which will consider any possible traffic and environmental improvements that may be feasible in Thorley Hill. This study is planned to be undertaken in the current financial year and will consider things such as the existing site layout, current speed and volume data, accident data and specific concerns raised within the petition and will identify what, if any, potential highway improvement works could be considered for future implementation. Once complete, the report will be submitted to the local members for their consideration and will also feed into the forthcoming Bishop's Stortford and Sawbridgeworth Urban Transport Plan, in order to determine potential funding streams for any identified improvement measures going forward.

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