Grove Parent Council Road Safety Practitioners
Report by: Grove Parent Council Road Safety Practitioners
To: Dundee City Council Roads and Transportation Section
Date: Wednesday 14th November 2012
Subject: Road Safety Issues affecting Grove Academy
1. INTRODUCTION
Members of Grove Academy Parent Council have carried out a series of road safety surveys on Claypotts Road (Broughty Ferry, Dundee), at various times of the day, between 31st October and 12th November 2012.
This report does not encompass the numerous road safety and traffic management issues on Seafield Road, Church Street or Queen Street (Broughty Ferry, Dundee).
Driving and pedestrian behaviour in the vicinity of the School campus is poor and, as a result, the risk of conflict between the various road users is high. However, the low speeds ensure that both the likelihood and consequences of any incident remain low. It will come as no surprise to report that many of the issues witnessed outside Grove Academy (and Eastern Primary School) are common to school travel patterns, and that the most prominent offenders are parents of pupils attending the schools.
2. VEHICLE SPEEDS
Grove Parent Council members have no data on traffic flows or pedestrians movement. Vehicle speeds have been recorded by the Parent Council members using a hand-held laser speed detector device. Speeds at school times are low and most vehicles are travelling at or below the (part-time) mandatory 20mph speed limit. This would appear to be largely due to the traffic congestion created by the school traffic. There are two main conflict points on Claypotts Road – at the junction with Davidson Street and at the school entrance. Turning manoeuvres at the Ferndale Drive, Ballinard Gardens, Albert Road and Camperdown Street are limited. Vehicular and pedestrian traffic at the Queen Street junction is controlled by the traffic signals. The numerous junctions, and associated turning movements, help suppress vehicle speeds.
Vehicle speeds rise outwith school times. This is particularly noticeable in the evening when speeds in the upper 30s and low 40s were recorded. As the site is now a community campus with extended use and opening hours, it is used over a wider time period than most schools. The result of this is a higher risk to road users, especially pedestrians, outside normal school times.
3. WARNING SIGNS
Travelling south on Claypotts Road, drivers do not have sufficient warning of the school warning signs or lower speed limit. As the signs are located south of the Davidson Street junction, they only become noticeable as drivers proceed around the bend. From the point of view of lowering vehicle speeds, there is little advantage in extending the 20mph speed limit northwards (speeds are already low at school time). However, it is necessary to provide approaching drivers with greater advanced warning of the hazard (school) ahead. There are no warning signs for the school on Davidson Street approaching the Claypotts Road junction (only two-way traffic signs).
4. PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENTS
All pedestrians north of the campus use the main access point. Due to the high number of pedestrians weekday mornings and afternoons, the vehicular access is often used for entrance and egress. There is a risk of collision with vehicular traffic although speeds are very low. This is most noticeable when a bus drops off pupils in the morning. Pedestrians are also at risk of collision from vehicles within the campus as the demand for parking spaces is so high. This is most noticeable where pedestrians cross the access to the northern car park area.
At night, the southern pedestrian gates are often closed and all pedestrians use the northern access. Many pedestrians from south of the campus have been observed using the vehicular access (which is closer) bringing them into conflict with vehicular traffic. Pedestrians should be encouraged to use the southern non-vehicular access whenever possible.
5. BUS STOPS ON CLAYPOTTS ROAD
Despite the high traffic flows at school times, most buses during the site visits were able to access the bus stops. When in operation, the bus stop on the north side of the school entrance obstructs visibility from the access to the nearside lane. This creates conflict between impatient drivers emerging from the school car park and drivers from Claypotts Road (north) or Davidson Street trying to overtake the parked bus. The bus stop could be relocated southwards to replace part of the School Keep Clear markings. This would improve visibility for drivers emerging from the school onto Claypotts Road. It would also promote increased use of the southern pedestrian access.
The remainder of the School Keep Clear markings south of the junction could be replaced as a single yellow line which would permit the drop-off and pick-up of pupils by parents during school times. Again, this would promote increased use of the pedestrian access and relieve congestion at the vehicular access.
6. SCHOOL CAR PARK
One of the main road safety issues is the use (over-use) of the school car park. Drivers trying to exit the site are often prevented from doing so by other drivers trying to force their way in. As a result, the access is regularly blocked with vehicles waiting on Claypotts Road. This can have an impact on the bus movements and through traffic along Claypotts Road.
The demand for parking spaces far exceeds the available spaces resulting in double parking and congestion within the campus. Consideration should be given to restricting access to the campus at school times. This would be a matter for the Education Service, rather than Roads, as it lies outwith the road boundary. Although this would result in a much safer road environment within the campus, in practical terms it would be difficult to manage. If on-campus parking is restricted or limited, it would have a significant impact on the local street network as alternative drop-off/pick-up points within a reasonable walking distance were sought. The fact that so many parents wish to drive into the campus suggests that most drop-off points are not likely to be any further than the adjoining streets (Claypotts Road, Davidson Street and Albert Road).
7. DAVIDSON STREET
Officially, Davidson Street is single lane (one-way west) as there is insufficient width in the road to permit two lanes of traffic. In practice, most drivers allow traffic to split into two lanes approaching the junction with Claypotts Road. This creates two problems – (i) passengers in vehicles on the offside lane emerge from the nearside of their vehicles into the path of the nearside traffic, and (ii) pedestrians on Claypotts Road crossing the mouth of the junction are often obscured from the opposite lane by traffic in the nearer lane. The second problem applies southbound in the morning and northbound in the afternoon, although traffic volumes are lower in the afternoon. If the street was narrowed to enforce a single lane, the footway(s) could be widened. This would have the negative effect of increasing queuing lengths on Davidson Street as only one vehicle could proceed at a time.
8. SUMMARY / CONSIDERATIONS RECOMMENDED
- Lower speed limit and/or warning signs extended northwards on Claypotts Road.
- Southbound bus stop relocated south of school access on Claypotts Road.
- School Keep Clear restrictions replaced with Bus Clearway and single yellow line on Claypotts Road.
Once these measures have been implemented, the travel patterns can be re-assessed and further changes progressed.