Wednesday 31 December 2014
Guernsey Press Enquiry:
Following the release regarding the permanent speed limit in the Route des Coutures, Summerfield Road and North Quay areas, I wanted to come back to the department after speaking to some of the residents and a business in the area.
They all feel that the trial period with the 25mph speed limit has not made a difference, with motorists still travelling along the roads at faster speeds. One resident thought that speed bumps would make a difference and another thought that the flashing signs which were in place for a short time did help to bring the attention to road users and may help if installed permanently.
Is the department able to comment on these points?
Separately, last year we did an article about the department's proposals to introduce 23-hour disc parking with passing points on the east side of Route des Coutures, between the junctions with Belval Road and Sous Les Hougues.
Is there an update on this? Is it now in place permanently?
I would be grateful if we were able to have a response by 5pm today.
Environment Department Response:
From speed surveys conducted in Summerfield Road prior to and after the speed limit changes were introduced, it has been ascertained that traffic speeds have reduced, albeit only slightly, since the lower speed limit was introduced on a trial basis. In this particular case, the 85th percentile speed* dropped by 1mph from 29mph to 28mph. Speeds were was also recorded at North Quay after the 25mph limit had been introduced and the results indicated an 85th percentile speed almost identical to that recorded at Summerfield Road.
The data gathered from our surveys shows that in the roads assessed the vast majority of drivers were travelling at speeds very close to the lower speed limits that have been introduced and in the case of Summerfield Road they were already doing so prior to the lower speed limit being introduced. Taking this into account, there does not appear to be a strong case to introduce physical calming measures or other measures to try and further slow traffic in these roads. Of course it is the small minority of motorists who abuse speed limits on a regular basis that are the problem and these motorists can only be dealt with through effective enforcement. By lowering the speed limit in these roads to a level that the majority of motorists already consider to be appropriate will make it easier to target the minority of motorists who ignore the speed limits and have little regard for road safety.
The continued use of temporary speed indicator signs remains a useful tool in terms of providing a reminder to motorists to watch their speed and the Department will discuss redeploying them in this area with the Guernsey Police.
With regard to the 23-hour disc parking in Route des Coutures, the Department can confirm that this was made permanent at the end of June this year. The new regulated parking is on the eastern side of the road and commences approximately 150m downhill of the junction with Belval Road and ends approximately 25m uphill of its junction with Sous Les Hougues.
*The 85th percentile is a calculation of the average speed of all vehicle speeds recorded minus the fastest 15%. It is a figure that is regularly used by traffic engineers when determining the speed limit of a particular road.
Contact Information:
Karl Guille, Traffic and Transport Services Manager
Environment Department
Tel: 243400
