* The new one-way sign at the junction of Church Street and the A5.
Specially for llanblogger Llangollen county councillor Graham Timms has explained the thinking behind the Covid-19 traffic changes which are currently being put in place around the town.
* Wider pavement on one side of Castle Street.
Why has the parking been removed from Castle Street?
Whilst businesses need all the custom that they can get in these difficult times, it is essential that everyone feels safe and welcome on our streets.
Many local residents felt that the crowds and lack of space made
them nervous about going into the centre.
It was impossible to observe social
distancing on the very narrow pavements on both sides of Castle Street.
In
August and September and on fine weekends the pavements were much too crowded
and something had to be done to make Llangollen safe for residents and
visitors.
Removing the parking provides extra room for this. A more relaxed
pedestrian experience will encourage more time (and money) to be spent in the
shops in the town centre.
Why use lane defenders?
We asked if the street could be separated from the pavement
using wooden planters instead.
Unfortunately there are strict rules about this
- it’s about safety for pedestrians. Planters would be dangerous if a vehicle
collides with them as they would slide, possibly causing injury.
The lane
defenders offer much more protection even though they don’t look anywhere near
as nice.
Why has all the extra
space been added to one side of Castle Street?
In an ideal world the space would have been added equally to
both sides of the street. Unfortunately this would have left a very narrow
strip of ground at street level on both sides with a curb up onto the original
pavement. This would have made the likelihood of tripping on the curb much more
likely.
So why was the east side
of Castle Street chosen?
The pavement on the west side of the street has much more width
by Y Capel and down past the Town Hall. It was decided to add the extra space
to the east side for this reason. ‘Llangollen 2020’ plans will have the extra
width divided between both sides and the whole pavement will be raised to the
same level.
Is there any free
parking in car parks?
Yes. To mitigate the loss of parking on Castle Street
Denbighshire have provided free parking for two hours during normal shop
opening hours until the end of December. We asked for a free half hour in all
car parks to allow residents to ‘pop and shop’ but we were told that the
concession would be the same for each town.
Will
free parking continue next year?
We’ve asked for some free parking next year too, but no
decision has been made just yet. We’re pushing for the free half hour in all
car parks rather than the current two hours in East Street only.
* No entry signs at the junction of Bridge Street and Church Street.
Church Street - Why does
reversing the one-way system help to improve road safety for parents and
children on their way to school?
Church Street is used by many parents and children on their
journey to and from school. Walking and cycling is being encouraged, but many
other parents in cars also use this route as a short cut (illegally) which
makes the route much more dangerous.
If the one-way system is reversed the
traffic on Church Street will then travel towards the town from the Sun Inn.
On
reaching the Hand Hotel all traffic will have to turn left, as Bridge Street
will keep its original direction of traffic flow.
Chapel Street and Oak Street will have to be
followed to get to Castle Street. It now takes longer to follow the new Church
Street route than using Regent Street (the A5).
One way from Castle Street into Market Street. Why?
Traffic surveys show that there are more pedestrians crossing
Castle Street at the Market Street and Oak Street junction than anywhere else.
Preventing traffic from leaving Market Street here will make the junction
safer. Pedestrians crossing from the Market Street Car Park will only have traffic
in one direction to contend with.
It will also help with traffic flow as this
junction often becomes blocked at busy times. The new route from Market Street
onto Castle Street will follow the current one-way system along East Street and
Parade Street.
* The short link road between M'Eating Point and Stans.
What is the point in
closing the small link road between M’Eating Point and Stan’s Garage?
Traffic using this small link road often creates a hazard on
the A5 right by the traffic lights. Visibility is also very poor when vehicles
travel onto Hall Street. Alternative routes are much safer.
Many pedestrians
also cross the A5 at this point on their way to and from Stan’s Garage and Post
Office. Closing this small link road removes an extra hazard for pedestrians at
this point.
Is it possible to please
everyone by making these changes?
Unfortunately, no.
