Traffic Improvements

With reference to the request for more input for the Newsletter from members, I thought I would add my "twopennorth" regarding the traffic chaos on routes into the town centre. The item from the Vice-Chairman in the October 20 I 0 issue takes a positive attitude towards the Duke Street re-organisation, but this scheme, and others, continues to overcome problems in isolation without endeavouring to cure the overall problem.

The Duke Street 'improvements' have caused problems in St Helen's Street, as anticipated by many readers of the local press. On a recent journey into town on the Martlesham Park & Ride we entered the gridlock in Warwick Road - this was not a peak time journey but 1.30 on a Monday afternoon! Also on more than one occasion I have got off a Route 66 service at the same place and walked into town without seeing the bus again. This has been aggravated by the closure of Rope Walk and I am surprised that the residents of St Helen's Street have not complained about the increase in traffic fumes.

What is needed is a drastic overhaul of the whole idea, to get a system which would last for a number of years.

Some twenty-five years ago when there was a request for the public to have an input into the traffic problems, I put forward a suggestion which still, I think, has some merit. This would be for Woodbridge Road up to Cauldwell Hall Road to be one-way out of town, with Spring Road being the inward route, also one-way. There should be an 'inner ring' - Upper Orwell Street, Tacket Street, Museum Street, Crown Street, etc being one-way in a clockwise direction with no traffic within the circuit apart from car park access, deliveries and disabled. This route could have a continuous mini - bus service with stops at appropriate places and with a nominal fare tariff. This would remove the traffic from Upper Brook Street etc to the benefit of shoppers.

There might be a similar scheme on the western side of town, but a less expensive option could be achieved by making most of Norwich Road a three-lane carriageway with two lanes used for incoming traffic in the morning peak period and one lane transferable to accommodate the evening peak time. (This has been achieved on a bottleneck in Vancouver.)

The £25million proposal to improve Princes Street would be better used in providing another river crossing which would benefit the Duke Street area, and of course we need a Northern by-pass to eradicate the problems arising from any closure of the Orwell Bridge.

Well there you have it, my "two pennies worth". I wonder if I will get any change!

Ken Brock