Road Safety Update
Perth and Kinross Council · 16 February 2023
Back to Kinross-shire Committee — 16 February 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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PERTH AND KINROSS COUNCIL Kinross-shire Area Committee 16 February 2023 ROAD SAFETY UPDATE (Report No 23/55) 1. PURPOSE OF REPORT 1.1 The purpose of this report is to advise members of progress on the various road safety concerns raised about the public road network in Ward 8 raised with officers prior to the meeting. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that Committee: • Debates the proposals set out at section 6 of this report. • Reaches a consensus on the actions to be taken, either through debate or by way of vote. • Asks officers to carry out the works agreed by committee. • Requests that an update be brought to a future committee meeting 3. STRUCTURE OF REPORT 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: • Section 4: Background/Main Issues • Section 5: Issues and Concerns • Section 6: Proposals • Section 7: Conclusion • Appendices 4. BACKGROUND 4.1 Perth and Kinross Council’s road safety projects assessment criteria provides a procedure for prioritising traffic management and road safety projects. This was approved by the E&I Committee in March 2019 (E Report No. 19/83 refers). All potential schemes are assessed and, if considered appropriate, ranked against other projects to ensure those schemes that deliver the greatest benefit to local communities are delivered first. With each financial year, projects are assigned to the relevant programme of works and budget, then installed as resources permit.
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4.2 Therefore, whilst one area may have a number of road safety priorities, these need to be assessed and considered alongside priorities identified in other areas. 4.3 The list of proposed projects is based on a technical assessment of the road usage and road environment. The assessment criteria does not take into account community concerns about perceived road safety. The Traffic & Network Team meets with the Ward Councillors every three months to review the list and identify community priorities. In some circumstances some of these preferred schemes that may have a lower ranking can be progressed first to address community concerns if there is elected member support. 5. ISSUES AND CONCERNS 20mph speed limits 5.1 Work is ongoing on the preparation of the full Traffic Regulation Orders to make the following temporary 20mph speed limits permanent, after consultation with the local elected members and community councils. The legal process will be undertaken this Spring and installation is scheduled for this Summer. • Crook of Devon north • Crook of Devon south • Drum • Glenfarg village centre • Kinross town centre extension • Maryburgh & Keltybridge • Milnathort town centre extension • Scotlandwell 30mph speed limits 5.2 Work is ongoing on the preparation of the full Traffic Regulation Orders to make the following temporary 30mph speed limits permanent, after consultation with the local elected members and community councils. The legal process will be undertaken this Spring and installation is scheduled for this Summer. • Easter Balgedie • Wester Balgedie 5.3 Work is ongoing on the preparation of the full Traffic Regulation Orders to create the following new 30mph speed limits, after consultation with the local elected members and community councils. The legal process will be undertaken this Spring and installation is scheduled for this Summer.
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• Auchmuirbridge • Carnbo • Gallowhill Road, Kinross, extension • Glenfarg south 40mph speed limits 5.4 Work is ongoing on the preparation of the full Traffic Regulation Order to make the following temporary 40mph speed limits permanent, after consultation with the local elected members and community councils. The legal process will be undertaken this Spring and installation is scheduled for this Summer. • Maryburgh north 5.5 Work is ongoing on the preparation of the full Traffic Regulation Orders to create the following new 40mph speed limits, after consultation with the local elected members and community councils. The legal process will be undertaken this Spring and installation is scheduled for this Summer. • Drum east extension • Scotlandwell to Auchmuirbridge School Keep Clear markings 5.6 Work is ongoing on the preparation of the full Traffic Regulation Order to create the following School Keep Clear parking restriction after consultation with the Head Teacher and local elected members. The legal process will be undertaken this Spring and installation is scheduled for this Summer. • Station Road, Kinross at Kinross Primary School Waiting restrictions 5.7 Work is ongoing on the preparation of the full Traffic Regulation Orders to create the following waiting restrictions for double yellow lines after consultation with the Head Teacher and local elected members. The legal process will be undertaken this Spring and installation is scheduled for this Summer. • Kinross Primary School car park • Muirs/The Sycamores junction Kinross Town Centre Regeneration scheme 5.8 A site inspection was undertaken on 13 January 2023 with the local elected members and council officers from Business & Place Development,
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Community Greenspace and Traffic & Network Services to assess community concerns about road safety and unauthorised parking. 5.9 Give Way markings and road sign will be installed on Burns Begg Road, approaching the High Street junction, along with an advanced direction (map) sign informing drivers of the road layout ahead and showing High Street as the priority route. These will be installed as soon as practically possible. 5.10 The adopted status of the area of ground in the restricted parking zone around the old town hall, between the carriageway and the building line, on both sides of the road, will be investigated. If adopted, there will be further discussion regarding enforcement. If unadopted, there will be further discussion regarding adoption and future use of these areas. 5.11 The possibility of planters on the widened footway on the east side of the High Street, outside the Salutation Hotel, will be investigated by Community Greenspace. Consideration will have to be given to cost of installation and on-going maintenance. Un-impeded pedestrian movement must be retained. 5.12 The possibility of planters being placed strategically within the shared space with a view to helping to define the pavement areas will be investigated by Community Greenspace. Consideration will have to be given to cost of installation and on-going maintenance. Un-impeded pedestrian movement must be retained. 5.13 The request for a second priority system on High Street will be investigated north of the Montgomery Street junction. If considered appropriate as a speed reduction measure, it will be assessed, ranked and added to the list of future road safety projects, then installed as resources permit. 5.14 Concern has been expressed about the volume and speed of traffic along the High Street. The Council currently has traffic survey data before and after the scheme was implemented (one before and two after) the scheme was implemented. This provides us with traffic volumes, vehicle speeds, direction of flow and categories of vehicles. Traffic volumes pre- and post- construction exceed 4,000 vehicles per day. Vehicle speeds are generally at, or close to, the maximum permitted speed limit; although the perception of speed by the local community is higher. The surveys do not provide information on the volume of traffic travelling along the High Street area without stopping in the town centre, some of which could be using the western relief road. The Traffic & Network team will get quotes for an Origin & Destination (OD) survey. 5.15 Additional traffic survey data would enable the Council to develop plans to reduce the volume of traffic going through the shared space. There is currently signage advising approaching drivers that Junction Road/Clashburn Way is the alternative route “avoiding town centre”. The signs are located at the B918 Station Road/Junction Road junction for traffic coming from the west (M90 and A977), and at the B996 High Street/Clashburn Way junction for
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traffic coming from the south (B996). The signs will be reviewed and, if necessary, upgraded to make the information more prominent. 6. PROPOSALS 6.1 The Committee is recommended to endorse the following road safety measures are proposed: (i) 20mph speed limits will be installed at Crook of Devon, Drum, Glenfarg, Keltybridge, Kinross Maryburgh, Milnathort and Scotlandwell. (ii) 30mph speed limits will be installed at Auchmuirbridge, Carnbo, Easter Balgedie, Gallowhill Road, Glenfarg and Wester Balgedie. (iii) 40mph speed limits will be installed at Drum, Maryburgh and from Scotlandwell to Auchmuirbridge. (iv) School Keep Clear markings will be installed at Station Road for Kinross Primary School. (v) Waiting restrictions will be installed within the car park at Kinross Primary School and at Muirs/The Sycamores to discourage unauthorised parking and prevent obstruction. (vi) Give Way markings and road sign will be installed on Burns Begg Street at High Street junction. (vii) The adopted status of the area of ground behind the footway in the restricted parking zone will be investigated before any decision about future use is taken. (viii) The use of planters to define the pedestrian walkway at the Salutation Hotel and outside the old town hall will be investigated. (ix) The introduction of a traffic priority system on High Street, north of the Montgomery Street junction, will be investigated. (x) Travel patterns, traffic surveys and road signage will be reviewed to develop plans to reduce the volume of traffic going through the shared space. 7. CONCLUSION 7.1 The introduction of the various speed limits and signs contained within this report will inform drivers of potential hazards on the road layout ahead and enable them to adjust their speed and position accordingly. Greater awareness of the road environment, combined with improved speed management, will reduce the risk of conflict between the various road users.
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Author Name Designation Contact Details Daryl McKeown Traffic and Network (01738) 475000 ComCommitteeReports@pkc.gov.uk Approved Name Designation Date Barbara Renton Executive Director (Communities) 26 January 2023