AN Alton resident has urged Hampshire County Council to take pro-active traffic- calming measures to ensure the safety of pedestrians who use Nursery Road, Alton. Peter Stone, who lives on the busy thoroughfare, is concerned for the well-being of the many children and parents who use the road to travel to nearby Anstey Junior School and Alton County Infants School. During the working week, the "rat run" regularly witnesses high speeds from irresponsible drivers travelling in both directions, said Mr Stone, who has even witnessed two young drivers racing with one another, using the pavement as an impromptu fast lane. "One car actually mounted the kerb to overtake the other before they both turned into Alton College. If someone had been walking out of their garden gate, they wouldn't have stood a chance," he said. During weekends, many local residents park their cars on the street, which causes the road to resemble a single carriageway - a highly effective method of traffic control. But with two car crashes, in the recent past, causing vehicles to mount the kerb and crash into adjacent garden walls, evidence is mounting that the installation of a preventative measure would be a welcome step, yet HCC remains adamant that things should not be changed. "It is the responsibility of the motorist to drive sensibly and according to the prevailing conditions," said Mandy Ware, of HCC, in a letter addressed to Mr Stone. "Traffic calming measures must be carefully considered. Physical traffic measures can be unpopular in such areas as there are many associated disadvantages. Often they are considered visually intrusive and obstructive. There are noise issues for residents, access difficulties, the likelihood of increased localised congestion, the possibility of worsened air quality due to greater emissions and measures which would reduce the amount of on-street parking available. "Consideration must also be given to the emergency services and buses who can be hindered by road humps," continued the letter. "I thought the letter was diabolical. They seemed totally uninterested and seemed more worried about buses than pedestrians," said a disgruntled Mr Stone. "The traffic needs to be slowed down - they put traffic bumps in Edward Road nearby and that has worked. The road is very narrow - you can just about get two cars down it - with a sharp bend, and it is very dangerous. Only the other day I saw a car mounting the pavement because it had misjudged the corner." Despite its reluctance to install a speed- easing scheme, HCC is looking into other avenues to assist with Nursery Road's quandary. The parking situation within Nursery Road will be considered as part of a comprehensive review of on-street parking within the residential roads surrounding the town centre area. This may result in Nursery Road being subject to a resident parking scheme."
