WESTBURY town councillors recently discussed the issue of speeding on Bratton Road and suggested that ‘pedestrian crossing’ signs could be installed in an attempt to reduce speeding and make the road safer for pedestrians. The area of concern is from the top of Alfred Street near White Horse Pottery, going towards the cemetery.
The issue was discussed at a meeting of the highways, planning, and development committee of Westbury Town Council last month, following a request from a resident for a zebra crossing in the area.
At the meeting, cllr Jane Russ said, “As somebody who comes out of that turning very regularly and uses that road a lot, I have to say that the traffic pelts along that area at frightening speeds. I have been waiting to pull out and seen people struggle to cross the road with a pushchair and a couple of children. It can be really hard to navigate the area in peak times and if a zebra crossing is being considered where there is a dip in the road would be at least a good attempt to solve the issue. The whole of that section of Bratton Road is just so dangerous.”
Cllr Mark Bailey said, “I agree with cllr Russ. I pass that way regularly both on foot and in car and I’m quite often amazed at the speed that people get to in that area. Maybe it’s because there is that very narrow section further up that people are rushing to get to before the other car opposite, but I feel that if we can do something in the way of a zebra crossing, that would alleviate some of the immediate issues and it would certainly encourage people to slow down more.”
Chair of the meeting, cllr Mike Sutton added, “Visibility from the cemetery end is very poor – I’m not sure how successful the bid for a zebra crossing will be, but there are other options they could consider such as pelican crossings or light controlled crossings.”
Too expensive?
Cllr Gordon King said, “The cost of a zebra crossing is somewhere in the region of £30,000 to £40,000. The cost of a pelican crossing is somewhere in the region of £70,000. In order to get either put in place there is a very complicated mathematical formula which calculates the number of pedestrians against the number of vehicular occurrences which can calculate the actual risk.
“We’ve had that formula right outside The Laverton many times and it has never succeeded. So, I’m not saying it won’t succeed on Bratton Road, and I clearly see the problems that cllr Russ and cllr Bailey outlined, but I’m saying it would be extremely expensive and outside budget and secondly it would be very difficult to succeed with the formula.”
The clerk at the meeting, Phil McMullen, said he had experience in installing a zebra crossing in his previous council and that it was extremely expensive. He added, “It felt like everyone wanted the zebra crossing but, in the end, we had a number of complaints and it proved to be quite divisive, so just be warned.”
‘Pedestrian crossing’ sign a cheaper alternative?
Cllr Russ then suggested that ‘pedestrian crossing’ signs should be installed in the area after the narrow section of Bratton Road and just after the cemetery gates as a way to save money and to get Wiltshire Council on their side and deal with the issue of speeding rather than rejecting another scheme.
The yellow ‘pedestrian crossing’ sign warns drivers of pedestrian activity in a particular area and, according to the Highway Code, they should be prepared to slow down or stop at short notice.
Cllr Russ added, “It’s not as heavy a commitment as a zebra crossing but it may at least make people think to slow down and would be considerably cheaper.”
Councillors supported the idea, which has been put forward to the local highways and footways improvement group (LHFIG) of Wiltshire Council. LHFIG will also consider making the narrow section of Bratton Road a priority for those approaching from the town centre.
