10th February 2010 - updated 16th March 2010 - updated 23rd March 2010
Update 23rd March 2010
Dear Mr Deller,
I write further to your deputation to Council on 2nd March 2010 on the above subject in which you 'asked the Council as a matter of urgency to review the traffic situation in the area, including the phasing of traffic lights, with a view to finding a solution for improving traffic flow along Castle Lane', as 'the Area Forum and local councillors had been trying to resolve the issues with Council officers for many months but to date no action had been taken'.
I can confirm that the situation remains as it was in Michelle Fillingham's e-mail's of 8th February in which Michelle explained in detail the assessments that had recently been undertaken, the actions proposed as a result of these assessments and the proposals and timescales for further review of the traffic situation on Castle Lane.
To reiterate the current position, a detailed review / assessment has now been undertaken of the traffic signals at the junctions of Castle Lane West with both Muscliff Lane and Wimborne Road as well as conditions further along the corridor to New Road to establish the traffic behaviour. The majority of the Castle Lane traffic is heading towards Whitelegg Way and site observations have shown that this traffic queues back through both the signalised junctions from the Whitelegg Way / Redhill roundabout. Vehicles travelling westbound towards Kinson or New Road queue in a single lane due to the layout of the lanes at the Redhill / Whitelegg roundabout. When this happens traffic trying to leave Muscliffe Lane heading for Wimborne Road frequently finds their way blocked by the Castle Lane traffic remaining stationary due to exit blocking.
The outcome of this review / assessment was that it was not possible to implement a quick fix solution to benefit Muscliff Lane users as the problem extends over the wider network.
What is proposed in the immediate future is for the safety team to look at the viability of yellow box markings to help Muscliff Lane traffic have clearer access to the left lane on Castle Lane for Wimborne Road. However it is worth noting that even with a yellow box, when the traffic on Castle Lane heading towards Whitelegg Way isn't moving due to exit blocking, this may not provide a total solution.
It is also intended to look at changing the timings specifically for the left turn coming out of Wimborne Road to see if holding this traffic back will create extra carriageway space for the Castle Lane West traffic to move into which will ultimately benefit both Muscliff Lane and Castle Lane. As you will appreciate during the peak times the corridor is congested and so some changes to the signal timings will have to be trialed to achieve benefits that have the least negative impact on the other approaches, such as increasing the delays on Wimborne Road to an unacceptable level.
Further detailed assessment of signal timing changes will be undertaken, however, this assessment will now have to wait as this is a major piece of work and other projects are already programmed and will therefore have to take priority through until early summer, by which time the traffic signal review around Castlepoint, which is programmed for April, should also have been completed.
One final note of caution in respect of overall expectations, it should be remembered that one possible eventual outcome with respect to the Castle Lane / Muscliff Junction would be that any noticeable improvement for flows along Castle Lane may only be possible at the expense of traffic exiting from Muscliff Lane, which is the opposite solution to that being sought by Councillor Whittaker.
Regards,
Ken Hobbs, Principal Traffic Engineer
Update 16th March 2010
Castle Lane is probably the most congested road in the Bournemouth area and is frequently at, or near its current capacity; resulting in frustration for users of this road who are now using our side, residential, roads as ‘rat runs’. Side roads in the Forum area, of Muscliff, Throop and Townsend, are far busier than they should be, which has resulted in a rise in accidents (noted by the police as cause for concern and road safety monitoring in Chesildene and Shillingstone Drive); this matter is therefore of great concern, to the residents and the two schools along these roads.
At our last two Forum meetings, when this matter has been discussed, many feel that URGENT action needs to be taken to improve the traffic flow along the length of Castle Lane, from Wimbourne Road to the Cooper Dean roundabout. Forum feels a full review needs to be undertaken in order to phase ALL of the traffic lights to maximise the flow of traffic and the capacity of the existing road. At present, the stop/start flow of traffic seriously reduces the capacity of the existing road.
The traffic lights around Castle Point need to be considered as we have received a number of comments regarding such. In forum members’ opinion, there should be SERIOUS consideration to them being switched off when the majority of shops on Castle Point are closed. I and others have witnessed a number of occasions when vehicles have gone through red lights at Castle Point which is certainly due to them not wanting to wait until the lights go through all the phases when there is little or no other traffic about. The pedestrian lights outside the library at Castle Point should also be in phase with the other traffic lights in the area.
We also have significant issue with traffic entering Castle Lane, westbound, from Muscliff Lane; the traffic lights at Wimbourne Road prevent little, if any, room being available on Castle Lane for traffic to enter. We feel that URGENT action needs to be taken to resolve this problem as it is a road safety issue.
I believe that the officers dealing with this matter agree that there is a problem which extends over the whole of Castle Lane, and that is indeed a major piece of work but other projects appear always, for some reason, to have priority. This matter has gone on many months already and we have been told it will be the early summer at the earliest before the Castle Point review is completed. The Muscliff Lane and Wimborne Road junction improvements have been subject to a number of delays.
I could go on but I hope that you will appreciate that this is a matter, which both the Forum and local councillors have being trying to resolve now for MANY FRUSTRATING MONTHS, which requires URGENT ATTENTION as there must be a relatively low cost solution which would go a long way to improving Castle Lane for both the users of the road and the residents who live on or near it.
Update 10 February 2010
For many months, Forum has been spearheading a campaign to get the Council to look at the phasing of all the traffic lights along Castle Lane to improve the flow. It has been a long and frustrating campaign, but headway is being made and assessments carried out.
The latest correspondence is detailed below:-
From: Leslie Deller
Sent: 01 February 2010 08:54
To: Michelle Fillingham
Cc: Councillor Ronald Whittaker; Wendy Sharp
Subject: RE: Throop Muscliff Strouden Townsend and Holdenhurst Area Forum- Castle Lane Traffic Lights
Our Forum meeting will take place on Thursday 11th February so please would you please send me a detailed statement of what the position is regarding the traffic lights on Castle Lane for the meeting? It is an issue a lot of people who live in the area are concerned about because the flow of traffic down Castle Lane is very poor and needs to be made better which is resulting in the local roads being used as 'rat runs', which is highly dangerous.
Kind Regards,
Mr. L. Deller - Forum Chairman
Response:-
From: Michelle Fillingham
Sent: 08 February 2010 10:43
Subject: RE: Throop Muscliff Strouden Townsend and Holdenhurst Area Forum- Castle Lane Traffic Lights
Dear Mr Deller,
Thank you for your patience with regards to the review of the traffic signals at the junctions of Castle Lane West with both Muscliff Lane and Wimborne Road.
I have carried out a number of on site assessments during the peak periods at both of the above junctions as well as further along the corridor to New Road to establish the traffic behaviour.
The majority of the Castle Lane traffic is heading towards Whitelegg Way and on site I have observed that this traffic queues back through both the signalled junctions from the Whitelegg Way / Redhill roundabout.
Vehicles travelling westbound towards Kinson or New Road will queue in a single lane due to the layout of the lanes at the Redhill / Whitelegg roundabout.
When this happens traffic trying to leave Muscliff Lane heading for Wimborne Road frequently finds their way blocked by the Castle Lane traffic remaining stationary due to exit blocking.
Wimborne Road also suffers with traffic sitting through an entire green phase without moving left onto Castle Lane towards Redhill / Whitelegg roundabout.
This presents a problem in keeping the reservoir between the Muscliffe and Wimborne Road junctions clear of congestion.
What I propose to do is get our safety team to look at the viability of yellow box markings to help Muscliffe Lane traffic have clearer access to the left lane on Castle Lane for Wimborne Road.
However it is worth noting that even with a yellow box, when the traffic on Castle Lane heading towards Whitelegg Way isn't moving due to exit blocking, this may not provide a total solution.
I have carried out a number of changes to the Urban Traffic Control model which have really not had the impact I would like. I am now looking at changing the timings specifically for the left turn coming out of Wimborne Road to see if holding this traffic back will create extra carriageway space for the Castle Lane West traffic to move into which will ultimately benefit both Muscliff Lane and Castle Lane.
As you will appreciate during the peak times the corridor is congested and I will have to trial some changes to the signal timings to achieve benefits with the least negative impact on the other approaches such as increasing the delays on Wimborne Road to an unacceptable level.
If you require clarification on any of the above points please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Michelle Fillingham IEng FIHIE
Project Engineer - Technical Services
Cllr Whittaker supported the Forum:-
“.......... from reading your comments I take it that so far the review of the traffic signals at this junction HAS not as yet been undertaken, this leads me on to the increasing traffic that is now using the Castle Lane / Wimborne Road service road that leads into Muscliff lane. As this matter as my chairman has said, likely to be raised at the forum, can you therefore please clarify IF THE THOSE WORKS AT THE MUSCLIFF LANE JUNCTION have or when such will be undertaken .......”
Exert of response from Ms Fillingham:-
“....I have now undertaken a detailed review / assessment, the results of which I outlined in my earlier email. To confirm the outcome the current situation is that it was not possible to implement a quick fix solution to benefit Muscliff users as the problem extends over the wider network. I then went on to outline how I hope to bring about some improvements. I will endeavour to trial the Wimborne Road changes in the next month and I shall speak to my colleagues in road safety for them to assess the potential for yellow box markings.
Unfortunately further assessment of signal timing changes will have to wait as this is a major piece of work and other projects have to take priority through until early summer when I would hope to have also completed the Castlepoint review.”
Cllr Whittaker added:-
Michelle,
Thank you, from this I gather them from what you are now saying i.e no quick fix solution to users of Muscliff Lane lights, don't think these endless delays is going to be well received in my ward, as we have raised these problems and our Chairman many months ago, fully appreciate it might be a major piece of work, but it is a real safety road matter, now you refer to early summer, are we then now saying, this junction has to wait for the work at Castlepoint?
Councillor Ron Whittaker
And Forum Chairman responded:-
9th February 2010
To: Michelle Fillingham
Cc: Councillor Ronald Whittaker; Councillor Robert Lawton;
I totally agree with what Cllr. Ron is saying.
Castle Lane is one of the major roads of Bournemouth and is at or near capacity at times which results in a lot of frustration by users who then use our local roads as 'rate runs'. Our local roads are busier than they should be which has resulted in a rise in accidents and is a great concern to us all who live in the area.
In the view of a lot of the residents of the area and I am sure the users of Castle Lane there is an URGENT need to maximise the flow of Castle Lane traffic so that the traffic flow to its maximum capacity and that can be significantly assisted by the proper phasing of the lights along the length of the road.
Therefore, I urge you to undertake this review as soon as possible as it is a significant road safety issue on one of the major roads of Bournemouth and I am sure that some disquiet will be voice when I inform Forum of the delay in undertaking what is urgently required.
The Chairman now proposes to take a deputation to full Council on this matter. - See Top