Letter to Editor: Allander junction traffic lights - disconnect between council and community

Disconnect between council and community
Compose your thoughts and drop us an emailCompose your thoughts and drop us an email
Compose your thoughts and drop us an email

Re: Road Rage: Residents see Red over Traffic Lights

I read in your paper this quite simply astonishing decision by the local Council to proceed with the installation of new Traffic Lights at junction with Allander Sports Centre and the subsequent removal of 80 meters of street car parking for residents (circa 20 places) who have parked outside their house for decades. Why is it anticipated from a pre-covid (Dec 2019) Transport Analysis that there will be additional car journeys anticipated with the replacement of the Sports Centre which has been in use for 45 years. It is not a new facility, it is a replacement so no anticipated additional car journeys. Also the Traffic Management Plans approving the Cala and Robertson’s developments had already factored in the additional capacity and concluded that Traffic Lights were unnecessary.

The Traffic Consultants only recommend the option of considering Traffic Signals, they did not state that is it necessary or essential. The Council’s decision is based on evidence that is neither persuasive or compelling. When the issues are “finely balanced” decisions should err on the status quo (and re-visited later in light of any new evidence) rather than lead to a huge impact on local residents and add to the congestion and delays both ways on Milngavie Road.

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The impact of Covid 19 will be with us for many years to come and it is likely to impact on peak hour traffic in a positive way and no decisions to install any Lights should be taken until this has been properly considered in terms of vehicles using this road at peak times. There should be no rush into decision making on an issue this important; the cumulative effect of poor decisions plagues this section of Milngavie Road and will do so further in the years ahead if the Traffic Lights are installed.

A Council Official is quoted as saying they will monitor the impact of the Traffic Lights once installed and report any issues. The arrogance of it. This makes the assumption that the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO)

which the Council still have to promote to remove the parking on Milngavie Road to enable them to install traffic signals at this junction, will be approved.

Maybe the Council could consider instead solving the dangerous mess that is the entry and egress from McDonald’s during peak times.

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Cars have parked on this part of Milngavie Road for decades, enjoying the normal benefits of parking outside your house and only some houses have garages available to. The Council surely cannot treat these affected families in this way, especially if those living there now or in future, have families with mobility problems, are elderly (doing their shopping), young families (baby buggies, prams), are physically disabled/disadvantaged or have significant deliveries (furniture, house removers, emergency services). Many of these families would have moved into these houses knowing they were able to park outside their own houses and now the Council intends to withdraw that facility and introduce a major obstacle/inconvenience to all these families and all road users. Where will they park. Has the Council talked to the residents about their options?

An additional set of traffic signals a very short distance from the current two sets of pedestrian signals will render that part of Milngavie Road, on occasions, a car park for cars, buses, vans etc. Nothing moves as it is when buses stop for passengers. This proposal for a new set of Traffic Signals will introduce a 4th means of stopping traffic in circa a quarter of a mile.

If you use your car on Milngavie Road you will be affected and your future journeys from Spring 2021 will be delayed even further, unless you act now to try stop this nonsense.

John Hamilton

Bearsden

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