Road-users commented they were unsure of the purpose of the marking, but the mystery soon unravelled when road safety charity Sustrans revealed it was part of community project DIY Porter’s Lodge, which asked residents to pick a design to mark the gateway to the area.'The marking' being a large 12 pointed yellow star in the middle of the road junction. One for future 'Daily Mail' readers, I think...
Sustrans senior urban designer, Paola Spivach, said: “The star is designed to increase drivers’ awareness of the surroundings and to slow traffic speeds.
“We’ve already seen a big change, with cars travelling much slower –it’s an important step in making the streets in the neighbourhood places to live, play and spend time in, rather than just speed through.”Are the benighted residents of the area grateful for Paola's beneficence? Reader, they are not...
But the star, which is located at the junction of Gale Street, Rugby Road and Ivy Road, has sparked a mixed response from neighbours.
Elaine Hayward said on the project’s Facebook page: “This is so dangerous. I have to cross this junction regularly and no one knows who has right of way. I was nearly hit this morning. Accidents waiting to happen.
“I can't see how the junction will be safer when no cars are stopping - just joining the junction from all directions. I do hope the signs will make it clearer but they really should have been installed at the same time as the road marking.”Hmmm...
Lorraine Ridley described it as a ‘waste of money and time.’
She said: “Lots in the community not happy, people don't understand what it means. You may give an explanation on here but people who come to visit won't know it is no right of way now.”Having driven through Dagenham, I doubt that'll be much of a change for the residents, frankly.
Update: This post was composed Wednesday morning, and I received a call from a friend to tell me that the star has now fallen. Proper give way signs are now in place.
Poor Paola! Better luck next time, love...
Further Update: Sustrans insist 'It'll be back!'. Quite how - since there's no way it cannot cover the give way signs - I don't know...
If it ain't in the Highway code, you can ignore it.
ReplyDeleteI've driven through this very junction - most of the drivers in this area have never read it, I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteISTR Sustrans was one of the first "charities" to get a kickback when the Blair regime seized power.
ReplyDeleteI also STR that it spent millions of taxpayers' money on a "network" of cycle paths which it failed to maintain, leaving them to become yet another legacy of NuLabour's insane profligacy.
For some reason, no one has wound up in prison.
"For some reason, no one has wound up in prison."
ReplyDelete:/