On 3 Apr 2013 at 11:53pm luckysi wrote:
What is going on with the zebra crossing outside the Elephant and Castle? The council have decided to move the crossing 4 or 5 metres down the road. That's fine but the pavement has been beautifully paved and yet the old posts for the flashing lights are still there and the new flashing lights are not yet put in. Presumably this means the new pavement will be dug up again very shortly to remove the old lights and to install the new ones. Will the pavement be so beautifully paved again (at double the cost) or will we just get a couple of squares of tarmac? Whatever it is an enormous waste of money purely for the lack of planning and management. Our money by the way. Which of our councillors is responsible? Any of them? Probably not.
On 4 Apr 2013 at 1:19am Ruth wrote:
The crossing is being moved to a wider section of road so that there is room to put a central refuge in the middle, for which the present location wasn't wide enough.
When the lights are moved the paving should be replaced.
On 4 Apr 2013 at 1:41am Local wrote:
Not sure that makes any sense at all, Ruth!
They've narrowed the road outside the Elly by widening the footpath, so I can't see there's any scope to add a central island. Plus the consultation documents made no mention of that whatsoever. And as luckysi said, the paving is being replaced BEFORE the light / signage poles have been changed.
A shambles, once again?
On 4 Apr 2013 at 7:51am Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
At least moving it will mean drivers no longer mistake smokers outside the Elly for people waiting to cross, and stop for them!
On 4 Apr 2013 at 9:18am luckysi wrote:
I wasn't aware of any plan to add a central refuge and I'm not sure the road is significantly wider 4 yards further along? I suspect the main reason for the change is to prevent confusion with smokers. This is all well and good but it still makes no sense to complete the paving BEFORE the old lights are removed and the new ones put in. It is just adding unnecessary cost.
On 4 Apr 2013 at 11:33am huw wrote:
The plan to move the crossing and put the traffic island in were for pedestriian safety and for traffic calming. By moving the crossing you prevent confusion arrising from smokers outside the Elly and prevent cars turning out of Abinger Place towards Offham coming out and hitting the crossing while looking for traffic uptowards Fisher Street (that used to happen a lot and I've been almost hit and seen a lot of near misses there).
The traffic island is to slow cars down, which isn't a bad idea on that stretch of road.
The fact that the whole job (including redirecting of pollution from Fisher Strret to Whitehill & Abinger Place) is costing £66K seems a bit excessive. I was told it would have cost nearer £100K if they were to put in a push button crossin, which would have been the more sensible idea.
The workmen think it's silly that they have laid the paving around the street lights but that's what they've been told to do as it's not their job to remove the light fittings. This will create extra expense when someone has to lift the bricks ( a fairly easy task as they are not cemented in place) and will most likely result in the replaced brinks sinking or rising, which could result in them having to relay sections of the path at a later date.
Hope that covers most things, you can see a plan of the works on the council website here
Check it out here »
On 4 Apr 2013 at 2:38pm Local wrote:
Well, I stand corrected re the central island. Sorry Ruth.
On 4 Apr 2013 at 3:34pm someone else wrote:
Coming out of Mount Place and turning right into West Street now looks like it's going to be an exciting manoeuvre - not that it's easy at the moment either.
I do hope they put illuminated bollards on the new refuge - should make for fun on Badge Night!
On 4 Apr 2013 at 3:59pm Taff wrote:
Not sure that moving the crossing closer to the bend is such a good idea. I have witnessed some close ones with traffic from Offham Rd with the crossing where it is. Still the 20/20 signs in the road will sort that out. Not.
On 4 Apr 2013 at 10:08pm Bonfire Boy wrote:
Well Its that same old story again the street light have been installed by one company they tell the electricity board to transfer the service to the new lights & disconnect the old but the Electricity board put it on the 2/3 month waiting lisits to do but in the mean time the company doing the civil/laying the path need to get on with it but the Electricity board are a law onto their own will dig it up again as they dont comunicate !!!!!!!!!!!
On 5 Apr 2013 at 12:39pm Poll tax payer wrote:
But really does it have to go into a seventh week for a few paving slabs , the cost to the public has been high , in time , another couple of guys that's all it would take ,
On 5 Apr 2013 at 2:18pm Local wrote:
I love posts like that! Why don't you pop along and offer your help?
On 5 Apr 2013 at 5:27pm Bridge too far wrote:
I agree with you Huw that cars turning out of Abinger Place towards Offham are straight on the crossing and that poses a danger but i don't think moving the crossing will make much difference. Maybe lights at Abinger Pl would be a better idea but that is going to far. In the meantime this "non urgent" task is given priority over repairing some of the potholes throughout Lewes and the villages nearby which is bad planning !