More "Safe Street" proposals in Marple centre

[Condate]

I have no objection to a 20mph limit in a small area where there are lots of pedestrians - it will make only a small difference to your journey time. I think many narrow residential roads should be 20mph by default. I do object to traffic calming measures - like the "pillows" on Hibbert Lane where your concentration is focussed on straddling them, or the humps on Church Lane where many drivers swerve towards the pavement to miss them. The braking / acceleration they can encourage  increases pollution.

Here's a radical thought - how about enforcing the speed limits we have? Policing of road traffic is a joke. As has been noted, some drivers routinely drive way over the speed limit, and mobile phone use while driving is increasing. Can the police be persuaded / funded to do some actual policing?

I think I did see a police officer in Marple once. Can't remember when.

[Cyberman]

I have no objection to a 20mph limit in a small area where there are lots of pedestrians - it will make only a small difference to your journey time. I think many narrow residential roads should be 20mph by default. I do object to traffic calming measures - like the "pillows" on Hibbert Lane where your concentration is focussed on straddling them, or the humps on Church Lane where many drivers swerve towards the pavement to miss them. The braking / acceleration they can encourage  increases pollution.

Here's a radical thought - how about enforcing the speed limits we have? Policing of road traffic is a joke. As has been noted, some drivers routinely drive way over the speed limit, and mobile phone use while driving is increasing. Can the police be persuaded / funded to do some actual policing?

[Condate]

Nope.  Sorry.  Don't get why a 20mph zone would stop people driving to Marple for shopping.  Not at all.

There are many reasons you may not want to shop in Marple.  The range of shops available probably being the most important one.  20mph limit in the town centre?  Nope.  Can't see it

Let's say you have two choices for what you want to buy.  1) Marple which is nearer to you, 2) Stockport which is further away, or 3) the Trafford Centre which is much farther away.  Marple having a 20mph limit really isn't going to be your deciding factor in my mind

But clearly is in yours.  So please explain why it would stop you shopping in Marple.

I can see several reasons why you may choose Stockport or the Trafford Centre over Marple.  But a small 20mph zone isn't one of them.

Given the choice between a nearby place which has 20mph limits and traffic calming and one further away which doesn't, I'd always choose the one further away if I need to drive. Having a 20mph limit and speed bumps is very much an indicator to stay away from a place.

If this proposal goes ahead, I will still do shopping in Marple when I can do so by walking (as I usually do), but will go further afield when I need to drive to carry what I have bought, or if I need to drive for some other reason (as I did after my wife had her hip operation).

Like a very large number of people, I will not go near places with 20mph limits (even when I don't drive that fast there anyway) and especially traffic calming measures (most of which ought to be illegal).  Marple will not miss my visits, as it will only be a few that I won't do, but it will miss the many people who boycott places with this sort of measure.

[admin]

Although I agree with these proposals and what they are trying to achieve, I'm relieved to see I won't encounter any new humps on my regular route to the park!

[wheels]

Totally agree Andrew.

Also I'm not sure I totally agree with those who say that a 20 mph zone would make little difference as the traffic  moves slowly in any event.  The might be the case in during certainly parts of the day but in the early evening cars regularly exceed the speed limit or jump the lights at the Stockport Rd/Stat ion Rd junction.  It's not also just about speed it's but saying that this space should be shared equally between pedestrians,  cyclists and motor vehicle users. We need to changin people's mindset so that pedestrians are seen as the top of the pyramid not car users.

[andrewbowden]

What proposals like this actually do is say to people "go away; we don't want you here, even if you are spending money here".

Nope.  Sorry.  Don't get why a 20mph zone would stop people driving to Marple for shopping.  Not at all.

There are many reasons you may not want to shop in Marple.  The range of shops available probably being the most important one.  20mph limit in the town centre?  Nope.  Can't see it

Let's say you have two choices for what you want to buy.  1) Marple which is nearer to you, 2) Stockport which is further away, or 3) the Trafford Centre which is much farther away.  Marple having a 20mph limit really isn't going to be your deciding factor in my mind

But clearly is in yours.  So please explain why it would stop you shopping in Marple.

I can see several reasons why you may choose Stockport or the Trafford Centre over Marple.  But a small 20mph zone isn't one of them.

[Condate]

Yes I can see how making people in the town centre safer for people on foot equates to hating Marple.

Seriously, a 20mph speed limit area like that is not going to make the world of difference to most motorists.

If the proposals were actually about making the town centre safer for people on foot, then fair enough. I don't think they are.  It's all about appearing to do something currently fashionable.  I use Marple centre a lot on foot and I would say it is very pedestrian friendly.

What proposals like this actually do is say to people "go away; we don't want you here, even if you are spending money here".

I agree that a 20mph limit will not make much difference in most cases, as traffic is normally slower than that anyway, but imposing one is very much a message that drivers are not welcome in Marple.

Personally, I could easily bypass the proposed measures, but they would have a major impact on the economy of Marple.

Places that have campaigned for measures like this and got them,  will soon be complaining that their town is dying for lack of people visiting. I do not want to see Marple die in that manner. 

[Howard]

My guess is that the average speed up Stockport Road when most pedestrians are around is less than 20mph anyway. I'm in favour of these proposals.

However, I'd also like to see better speed reduction on Church Lane, particularly the part from Littlewoods up to Ridge Road. I have seen high-powered cars doing utterly insane speeds up there. There would be no chance whatsoever if a pedestrian or an animal tried to cross the road at the same time.

[wheels]

I would have thought anything that alters the balance between pedestrians/cyclists and and motor vehicles will be generally welcomed. A schemes which makes people safer and more comfortable can only be welcomed not only by those pedestrians and cyclists but by local traders as shopping becomes a safer experience.

A Poynton type town centre scheme seems to me what Stockport Rd has been crying out for for a long time.

[andrewbowden]

It would be interesting to know who hates Marple so much that they came up with this.

Yes I can see how making people in the town centre safer for people on foot equates to hating Marple.

Seriously, a 20mph speed limit area like that is not going to make the world of difference to most motorists.

[Condate]

It would be interesting to know who hates Marple so much that they came up with this.

[Howard]

https://assets.ctfassets.net/ii3xdrqc6nfw/6CLFlVa8DqiXDmNec46xrw/d6616edc55fea9df6fff201e67348c50/Safer_streets_in_Marple_district_centre.pdf

Options are 20mph signs replacing 30mph signs plus speed bumps and road narrowing. Proposed locations:
Along Stockport Road from the Church Lane/Station Road junction up to the Cinema
Union Road next to the pool
Hibbert Lane by Priory House
Hollins Lane close to Fern Lane