How to improve traffic flow in Hebden? Ban Waiting.
From Bernard B
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
On a yellow sign attached to a lamppost is notification that Calderdale intend to introduce No Waiting at Any Time [I assume on existing double yellows] on Victoria Road, New Road, Neale Street, Palace House Road and Keighley Road; Longfield and Southfield; and Caldene Avenue.
One reason for posting here is I'm doing the job of the Head of Democratic & Partnership Services and trying to publicise this widely, in a 21st century manner that won't blow away if ever it's windy or disintegrate if ever it rains. For some reason the proposals don't seem to be readily available online – something the Head of Democratic & Partnership Services might want to look into – so ring Highways on 392917 for the exact details.
The other reason for posting is that with all the traffic and parking problems in the area, I think the short-lived inconveniences caused by people loading on double yellows on Neale Street are a bizarre thing for the council to be targeting when there are so many other impediments to vehicular progress and/or road safety that they might want to look at first.
Could they send out someone to sort out the timings of the Albert Street traffic lights properly so that fewer people feel the need to avoid them by turning right out of Crown Street?
Which is more of a problem on Keighley Road, posties stopping to empty letter boxes or the regular snarl-up below Nutclough caused by legally-parked cars between the bus stop and the 30mph sign, which creates a blind bend?
Which impedes traffic more, unloading on New Road, or the parking space for a single police car directly opposite the bus stop on Hope Street which often means cars can't turn off New Road?
Whatever problem they think they'll solve on Palace House Road, surely Shelf Road being effectively single lane with no passing places during the day is of more concern?
There, I think that's a comprehensive list but if I've missed anything why not post to this thread - you never know, your local councillor might be a lurker on this forum.
From Ian M
Thursday, 19 April 2012
I'm afraid the only question I want to ask is what on Earth is a "Head of Democratic and Partnership Services" and how much do they cost us each year!
From John Billingsley
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Glad someone's posted on this, as it seems to have slipped below the radar - not surprisingly, since the only place (apart from the soggy notices) that the council is obliged to post it, apparently, is the local newspaper (i.e. not on their website) - clever, that, as it means on p47 of the Hebden Bridge Times of 5 April, under the very slim public notices column, in a very plain box of grey type, we can learn - if we even manage to see it - that 'no waiting at any time' is proposed for
- Victoria Rd, New Rd, Neale St, Palace House Rd, Keighley Rd (HB);
- Hepton Drive, Longfield, Southfield (Heptonstall);
- Caldene Ave, Thrush Hill Rd (Mytholmroyd).
Quite a list, and the council will tell you why they propose this if you go along to Northgate House in Halifax. And if you want to object you have to get your views in by April 26th - so pretty urgent now if you feel that in several of these locations the proposed restriction is unnecessarily punitive.
Some restriction on some locations, as on Keighley Rd, is understandable, but the immediate feeling is that they're trying either to push people into the already inadequate paying car parks, or on to the over-expensive, increasingly unaffordable (and some say unreliable) bus services. How do our local businesses feel about this, I wonder - all in favour?
Now, if they were to use the (floodable) Brown's site as a park-&-ride site then that might improve things....
In the meantime, the name on the Public Notice is Tony Zelei at Highways & Engineering, 01422 392717, email Tony.Zelei@calderdale.gov.uk - should you want to query anything or ask for more details.
From Kate C
Thursday, 19 April 2012
I agree completely with John that the only obvious reason for this is to increase revenue from the towns paid parking spaces. I expect those that actually use these parking spots are locals that work in Hebden, and don't want to spend £20 a week parking, or buy an expensive pass for a bus service that never arrives. (I do actually walk quite often, I even have a change of clothes for when it's wet and muddy, but that's not practical for everyone). I sometimes park on Victoria Rd, and I don't think I've ever impeded traffic - it's practically a cul-de-sac for goodness sake.
From Andy M
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Hopefully the no waiting order in Southfield/ Hepton Drive is to stop people blocking the passage of the bus at the junction of these roads...a good thing too.
From K Degnan
Monday, 23 April 2012
I've emailed Tony Zelei today to ask him for the reasoning behind these proposals. Presumably it is because residents currently park in these zones so that it makes it difficult for public transport and other traffic to pass.
I personally don't see that there is a major problem with parking at the moment on the river end of Caldene Avenue and Thrush Hill Road - yes lots of cars park opposite the junction which makes it difficult sometimes to see your way out, but it does not warrant a total ban surely. Certainly no bus passes that way. It's single file traffic the moment you get to the railway tunnel anyway so why the sledgehammer to crack a nut approach here?
I also wonder what the residents of Neale Street done to offend the Council so much?
The streets of Hebden Bridge have always been narrow but the Council must be able to suggest viable parking alternatives if they are determined to prevent residents parking outside their own homes.
From Ian M
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Banning waiting isn't the way to ease traffic flow in Hebden. To do that the following would need to happen.
Stop traffic from turning right onto Commercial St from Burnley Road.
Remove the traffic lights at the junction of Albert St and New Road and replace them with a mini roundabout.
Do the same with the junction at Holme Street.
Make the exit from Crown Street left turn only.
This would remove the main bottlenecks in town and massively increase the flow of traffic. The only thing left to do then would be to remove the mind bogglingly stupid bus stop / parking spot in the middle of Albert Street!
From Andy M
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Not trying to be facetious but do we really have a traffic-flow problem in Hebden Bridge . . . really?
From Tim B
Thursday, 26 April 2012
I think the traffic flow has improved since the pedestrianisation of Hebden Centre. Remember the massive queues that used to form down Bridgegate, with it's narrow to non existent pavements?
Slightly off topic , sorry.
See Planning Watch for maps of the streets in question