There's been plenty of talk but no action on making Station Brae safer. If anything it is getting more dangerous all the time. The following is from a regular gurnite:
"Around about half past four/quarter to five today I was walking down the Station brae from Queenspark. I saw a small lorry coming up the brae and felt that it was really close to the pavement. I turned round and saw it hitting the edge of the pavement for a couple of yards and, by the time it had reached the top of the brae (close to Jimmy Lennon’s house), it had actually mounted the pavement. Many pedestrians use this pavement; schoolkids, people going to appointments at the hospital, carers with wheelchairs from the nearby nursing homes, older people going shopping from Queenspark etc, and if there had been any pedestrians in the vicinity of this lorry they would have been hit, I have no doubt about that.
Since the Doctors Surgery opened there has been a significant increase in traffic using this route and there is also some traffic trying to avoid the current traffic lights and road works. As you all know this is a narrow road and when traffic is moving in both directions drivers have a tendency to pull away from oncoming traffic which puts pedestrians in extreme danger, if not from vehicles hitting the pavement then from wing mirrors etc. I have seen a few near misses but this one today was the worst yet.
Are there any plans for some form of traffic control on the brae? Either to cut down on the speed or to reduce the danger to pedestrians?"
Since the Doctors Surgery opened there has been a significant increase in traffic using this route and there is also some traffic trying to avoid the current traffic lights and road works. As you all know this is a narrow road and when traffic is moving in both directions drivers have a tendency to pull away from oncoming traffic which puts pedestrians in extreme danger, if not from vehicles hitting the pavement then from wing mirrors etc. I have seen a few near misses but this one today was the worst yet.
Are there any plans for some form of traffic control on the brae? Either to cut down on the speed or to reduce the danger to pedestrians?"
It's amazing isn't it? We have councillors earning a salary and hundreds of officials working for Highland Council also earning large amounts of public money - so why then does it take so long to get things done? Perhaps the budget for the roads in Nairn should just be given to the Nairn Community Councils. Someone needs to get their act together before there are deaths or serious injuries on the brae.
Totally agree. I was once "clipped" by a wing mirror walking up the brae as I passed some people walking down towards the town. The problem is exacerbated by the junction at the bridge. Traffic has to edge out to see if it is clear. Any traffic control would need to be three way.
ReplyDeleteAnd if, as is often the case, the hedge is not kept trimmed back the pavement is even narrower for pedestrians.
ReplyDeleteWith the extra traffic it's at the stage where we could do with traffic lights, making the road one vehicle width, and widening the pavement
ReplyDeletePerhaps when we find that there are too many sets of lights on the A96 one lot could be moved!
A reminder from the Highway Code (now available online at Department for Transport) - Paragraph 125: The speed limit is the absolute maximum and does not mean it is safe to drive at that speed irrespective of conditions. Driving at speeds too fast for the road and traffic conditions is dangerous. You should always reduce your speed when:
ReplyDelete•the road layout or condition presents hazards, such as bends
•sharing the road with pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders, particularly children, and motorcyclists
•weather conditions make it safer to do so
•driving at night as it is more difficult to see other road users
I have seen an advisory sign highlighting the relevant part of the highway code used in Aviemore (when they introduced a zebra crossing at the Tesco store). Surely there is still a road safety team in Highland Council?
Just as an update to some of the comments. The hedge has been trimmed over the last couple of weeks. There was no traffic involved from the junction. The lorry was not going particularly fast. Whether it was down to bad driving or the surroundings - who knows. The important thing is it could happen again with terrible consequences.
ReplyDeleteWhere was the wee mannie that walk up and down the brae waving his arms to slow the traffic down and if your not careful he steps out in front of you!!
ReplyDeleteDriver beware of him i have nearly hit him.
I agree its a very narrow stretch of road simply slow down is the obvious answer - still we all know that wont happen so do it for them and introduce traffic calming slaloms - with right of way for traffic going uphill - simples..
ReplyDeleteI was under the impression that , as part of the planning permission granted for the re-modelled hospital, measures had to be implemented to control trafrfic on the station brae , and increase the protection offered to pedestrians.
ReplyDeleteSection 3.2 of the Planning Officer's report to the Nairn Ward planning committee meeting on the 26th Oct 2006( which susbquently granted permission for the proposed development) certainly made mention of measures to that end.
Details here
Says that any measures taken need to to satisfy the Council........did someone take their eye off the ball yet again ?
thats all we need,another set of damn lights,and with reference to the wee mannie,i pass him daily.and i am driving at 20mph.and still he waves his arms like a demented fool,it would be his own fault if he was hit
ReplyDeletefrom a gd guy.
A wee mannie waving his arms like a demented fool at the passing public in general? Going by the blogs, entries and comments on this website, that person could be anyone that lives in Nairn...
ReplyDelete