DEPARTMENT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ON BAGATELLE LANE, ST SAVIOUR
Purpose of the Report
To request the Minister to approve pedestrian safety improvements on Bagatelle Lane. The improvements include:
- Reducing the speed limit to 20mph
- Making the lane one way northbound
- Creating a ‘virtual’ footway – a footway flush with the carriageway with a different coloured surface and bollard protection
- Kerb buildouts at the junctions with Bagatelle Road and Wellington Road
- Kerb buildouts at the junction of Les Ametots and Bagatelle Lane
- Threshold treatment at the junction of Bagatelle Road and Bagatelle Lane
Background
The St Saviour’s Schools Action Plan, (SSSAP), highlighted the issue of a large number of students needing to use Bagatelle Lane to access Hautlieu School. It is on the walking desire line from the schools’ bus park at JCG to Hautlieu and also onto Highlands.
Part of the Safer Routes to School initiative is to encourage walking, cycling and bus use in line with the Sustainable Transport Policy to use more sustainable modes of transport, to reduce congestion. In addition, walking and cycling have health benefits.
The school have raised the issue of safety following near-misses with vehicles as they compete for space in the narrow lane with two way traffic and parked cars with no or sub-standard footways.
In the period between 2013 and 2017 for which injury collision data is held, there have been two personal injury collisions at the junction with Wellington Road involving vulnerable road users; three at the junction with Bagatelle Road, two of which involved vulnerable road users and one on the lane at the junction with Les Ametots.
Discussion
A public consultation was held on 25 October 2018 to gather information on the issues and concerns of residents and users of the lane. Twenty-four people completed a questionnaire on the evening and a further 21 responded via the website. Of the combined responses, 47% lived on Bagatelle Lane and its estates, 2% on Bagatelle Road, 11% on Wellington Road and a further 20% lived elsewhere in St Saviour.
There was an overwhelming response to the question of whether there is a need to make the lane safer with 93% of responses ticking yes.
The main concerns raised were
- Too many cars going two ways and pedestrians in the same space
- Bad exits at both junctions
- Speed of vehicles
- The irregular haphazard or illegal parking
- The lack of or the width of the footways.
The questionnaire also gathered views on how best to overcome these issues. The most popular response was to make the lane one way. Other options included:
- Traffic calming measures
- Reduced speed limit
- Continuous footway
- Making the lane access only.
The students at Hautlieu School also completed a questionnaire. Only 23% of students thought it was a safe walking route down the lane.
Bagatelle Lane could not have a closure point similar to Chasse Brunet due to the restrictive width and lack of suitable areas to turn vehicles. Making it access only with signage only would not deter those using it as a short cut unless it was constantly policed.
The one way option was taken forward for preliminary design. The lane was made one way northbound as the visibility on exiting onto Wellington Road is being improved as part of the upcoming zebra crossing installation with a virtual footway on the west side of the lane. In order to accommodate the virtual footway, all roadside parking needs to be removed.
The proposals were agreed by the Parish Roads Committee and then consulted on 7 March 2019 at Hautlieu.
Twenty-six people completed a questionnaire on the evening, six were delivered to the Parish Hall and a further 16 responded via the website. Of the combined responses, 53% lived on Bagatelle Lane and its estates, 10% on Bagatelle Road, 10% on Wellington Road and a further 21% lived elsewhere in St Saviour. 58% thought the proposals addressed the concerns of the first consultation whilst 17% said it did not address the concerns. Of residents living in Bagatelle Lane, 58% supported the proposals whilst 27% did not. The main concern they had regarding the scheme was the lack of on-street parking, particularly for visitors.
Conclusion
Making the lane one way and reducing the speed limit to 20mph would address the main concerns from the first consultation and the clear need that the lane needs to be made safer for all road users. This is in-line with parts of the Council of Ministers strategic priorities for their term in office, being:
- To put children first
- To improve Islanders’ wellbeing and mental and physical health
- To protect and value our environment
and in line with the STP and St Saviours School Action Plan which aims to encourage students to walk or use buses which reduces congestion to local schools. Reduced congestion benefits air quality for students and residents and reduces carbon emissions to the environment.
Recommendation
The Minister is recommended to approve the change in road priorities for Bagatelle Lane to become one way northbound with a virtual footway and associated road safety features.
Reason(s) for Decision
To provide a safer walking facilities for students walking to and from Hautlieu School to the bus park at Jersey College for Girls as part of Safer Routes to Schools and to benefit other pedestrians in the area.
Resource Implications
The project is to be funded from the 2020 capital Programme.
Action Required
Detailed design of enabling works and footway to be finalised and implemented.
Written by: | Assistant Engineer, Transport |
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Approved by: | Director of Transport |
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Attachments: | BGTL-101-001 - Option 1 – Proposed pedestrian improvements |
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