St. Clement's Road and La Route du Fort: Junction of: Pedestrian Crossing Improvements

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A decision made 1 March 2013:

Decision Reference: MD-T-2013-0024
Decision Summary Title :	Pedestrian Facilities at the Junction of St Clement Road and La Route du Fort		Date of Decision Summary:	21 February 2013
Decision Summary Author:	Acting Senior Engineer		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title :	Pedestrian Facilities at the Junction of St Clement Road and La Route du Fort		Date of Written Report:	21 February 2013
Written Report Author:	Acting Senior Engineer		Written Report : Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Subject: The provision of traffic signals for pedestrians on the southern leg of the junction of La Route du Fort and St Clement Road.
Decision(s): The Minister approved the prohibition of the left turn for westbound vehicles from La Route du Fort into St Clement Road, and the provision of pedestrian lights to cross the southern leg of St Clement Road at the junction.
Reason(s) for Decision: To improve pedestrian crossing facilities at the junction of St Clement Road and La Route du Fort.
Resource Implications: The physical works will cost approximately £30,000 which can be funded from the Sustainable Transport budget allocated to support walking.
Action required: Acting Senior Engineer to instruct the Law Draftsman to prepare the required Order amendment and organise the work required to provide pedestrian signals on the southern leg of the junction.
Signature:		Position:
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

St. Clement's Road and La Route du Fort: Junction of: Pedestrian Crossing Improvements

TRANSPORT AND TECHNICAL SERVICES

PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES AT THE JUNCTION OF ST CLEMENT ROAD

AND LA ROUTE DU FORT

Purpose of the Report

To provide traffic signals for pedestrians on the southern leg of the junction of La Route du Fort and St Clement Road.

Background

The pupils of St Luke’s School have recently helped in the preparation of a Travel Plan for the school. As part of the Travel Plan the pupils identified St Clement Road as a difficult road for them to cross. A refuge island has been installed at the southern end of St Clement Road, but there are currently no pedestrian traffic signals on the junction of La Route du Fort and St Clement Road.

Discussion

The junction of La Route du Fort and St Clement Road has very high levels of traffic, and is controlled with a set of carefully designed traffic lights which maximise the capacity of the junction.

There are currently no pedestrian traffic lights provided at this junction to indicate to pedestrians when they can cross the road. The Department has carried out a study, using computer software that models traffic signal options, to ascertain whether pedestrian facilities can be provided at this junction without causing serious delay to vehicular traffic, particularly during the morning and evening peaks.

A controlled pedestrian crossing across the southern St Clement Road leg of the junction can be provided within the existing signal staging sequence, with no affect on the junction capacity, provided that the left turn from La Route du Fort westbound into St Clement Road were to be prohibited. The prohibited left turn can be enforced by re-aligning the kerb on the south-east corner of the junction. This kerb re-alignment will also provide additional space for pedestrians. All other options modelled to provide pedestrian signals reduced the capacity of the junction for vehicles.

A three week consultation of the proposal has been undertaken. Details of the plans were placed on the consultation portal of www.govje/consut, a letter drop was carried out in the immediate area which included residents most affected by the prohibited turn, and a site notice was erected. Four consultation responses have been received. The response received from the Head Teacher of St Luke’s School was in full support. Three responses from residents in the area recognised that a pedestrian facility was required but expressed concern at the alternate routes that diverted vehicles would have to take.

Traffic movements at this junction have been surveyed. On the day of the count 77 vehicles made the left turn between 7am and 7pm. Counts were not taken between 10am and 11am, and 1pm and 2pm. During the surveyed hours, the busiest hours of the day, 7.7 vehicles per hour made the left turn, or approximately one every eight minutes.

The few vehicles that do currently make the left turn will have a choice of using Dicq Road, Elizabeth Lane and Beach Road ahead of the junction and Cleveland Road and Roseville Street beyond the junction, as diversionary routes. The prohibited left turn will have no discernible impact on any of these roads.

While it would be desirable for pedestrians, especially for less able and visually impaired pedestrians, to provide pedestrian signals on each arm of the junction, there are Pelican crossings that provide a crossing on La Route du Fort at Beach Road and Roseville Street, a short distance either side of the junction.

The Connétable of St Helier has offered his support for the proposal.

A drawing of the proposed junction layout is attached at Appendix A.

Conclusion

Traffic signals for pedestrians can be provided on the southern arm of the junction of La Route du Fort and St Clement Road with no impact on the vehicular capacity of the junction, provided that vehicles travelling westbound on La Route du Fort are prohibited from turning left into St Clement Road.

Recommendation

The Minister is recommended to approve the prohibition of the left turn for westbound vehicles from La Route du Fort into St Clement Road, and the provision of pedestrian lights to cross the southern leg of St Clement Road at the junction.

Reason(s) for Decision

To improve pedestrian crossing facilities at the junction of St Clement Road and La Route du Fort.

Resource Implications

The physical works will cost approximately £30,000 which can be funded from the Sustainable Transport budget allocated to support walking.

Action Required

Acting Senior Engineer to instruct the Law Draftsman to prepare the required Order amendment and organise the work required to provide pedestrian signals on the southern leg of the junction.

Written by:	Acting Senior Engineer

Approved by:	Director of Transport

Endorsed by:	Director of Engineering and Infrastructure

Attachments:	Appendix A – sketch of proposed pedestrian facility on southern leg of junction

I:\Minister\2013\Ministerial Decisions 2013\MD 0024 Pedestrian Facilities Junction of St Clement Road and Route du Fort\WR Pedestrian Facilities Junction St Clement Road and Route du Fort.doc