Thanks for that,

I'm familiar with the physics of traffic safety, I was mainly interested
in how your proposals would affect other road users.

Closing the old Stapleton Road to traffic from the M32 roundabout
wouldn't cause much disruptionj except to local residents who would
have to use Muller Rd,/ ('new') Stapleton Rd. to get home from the M32.
But wouldn't a pedestrian crossing near the 'safe-cycling' route you
mention be just as effective and much cheaper?

This M32 on-ramp is not easy, with traffic coming out of the left hand
lane (Including cyclists) turning right, across traffic turning left
into Old Stapleton Road and the M32 on-ramp. Closing the Old Stapleton
Road off to traffic might make the junction easier and safer for both
wheeled and pedestrian traffic along the road.

But addtional signals at the on-ramp entry would simply bring an already
marginal roundabout to a standstill (even more often). This is the
major M32 crossing between St. Pauls and Downend, so this would be
undesirable.

You go on to suggest that pedestrians should be allowed to cross major
roads, including motorways, at any point they desire, regardless of
nearby alternatives like underpasses (No fatalities there I believe)?
And suggest that congestion will improve safety. Are you a consultant
for BCC?

Royce




> What's been proposed to council is to close off direct motor vehicle
> access from the Junction 2 roundabout to the beginning of Stapleton
> Rd. (the residential, one-way section that's currently a speedway and
> also severes a safe cycling route between the "Easton Bypass" and
> Eastville Park). Then the other two lanes of the slip road would be
> lowered to 40mph, and a new signalised crossing would be installed,
> coordinated with the other lights around the roundabout. Yes it might
> delay cars 20 or 30 seconds. But this is a matter of people being
> killed. It's death by design. And a civilised city is one that
> protects its most vulnerable...... The elderly and the young are less
> mobile and can't scurry out of the way as easily as an adult.
>
> We cannot allow any further deaths here.
>
> If there were any knock on effects in terms of congestion, (other
> issues aside) it would probably improve safety.
>
> A pedestrian hit at under 20mph has a 5% chance of being killed.
>
> A pedestrian hit at 30mph or below has a 45% chance of being killed.
>
> People are going to continue walking across from Eastville to Tesco
> because it is a desire line. The tunnels are considered by many to
> be more dangerous in terms of muggings, so people choose what they
> consider safest and most direct. And that is unfortunately across the
> slip road. We need to make sure that is safe.
>
> This is just one part of an epidemic of car-related damage being
> suffered by Bristolians, 500 of us are killed or permanently crippled
> by cars every year. We have had more than our fair share in Easton
> lately. Yet this is consistent with the statistics- for every one
> child killed or injured on Clifton streets, roughly 25 Easton children
> are.....
>
> And the entire Evening Post website today is full of CAR-nage:
>
> http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/
> <%20http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/%20>
> See today's article in the Evening Post about junction 2:
>
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Safe-crossing-killer-Bristol-junction/articl\
e-512710-detail/article.html
>
> If you want to support the campaign, you can write an e-mail to MP
> Kerry McCarthy at mccarthyk@...
> <mailto:mccarthyk@...> asking that funding be made available
> to carry out the improvements outlined here, and asking her to direct
> the Highways Agency to undertake the above emergency safety
> improvements to the junction, and for 20MPH ZONES TO BE INTRODUCED ON
> ALL RESIDENTIAL ROADS IN BRISTOL. Also please e-mail
> mark.bradshaw@... <mailto:mark.bradshaw@...> and
> your councillor.
>
> Thanks
>
> Josh
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Royce Creasey <royce@...>
> *To:* easton_bristol@...
> *Sent:* Monday, December 1, 2008 11:14:17 AM
> *Subject:* Re: [easton_bristol] Junction 2 M32 "blood alley"
>
>
> Does the campaign propose any way of encouraging non-motor vehicle
> traffic to cross the M32 J2 complex that doesn't simply involve
> obstructing other traffic on that junction?
>
> Isn't the route past the Job Centre and Ikea (etc.) still open? I
> always used to walk that way across the M32. And there's a full
> underpass complex on J.2 - unless that's closed too?
>
> It's true that that off-ramp is short and very badly marked, there's
> often a problem with traffic backing up onto the M32. The alternative
> off-ramp at St. Pauls leads traffic into more congested streets in
> Easton (Old Ashley Rd.) than Stapleton Road.
>
> I'd have to argue that another signal crossing at that point, or closure
> of that off-ramp, would increase congestion significantly in other parts
> of Easton where more pedestrians would be closer to the motor vehicles.
> But I'm only addressing the safety/efficiency issue.
>
> Royce
>
> Joshua Hart wrote:
> > Dear Easton/ Eastville resident,
> >
> > In the last year, as you may be aware, three elderly pedestrians have
> > been killed by motor vehicles while walking across the southbound slip
> > road and entrance to Stapleton Rd. at Junction 2 of the M32 in
> > Eastville. Local residents are calling for emergency safety
> > improvements to prevent further loss of life, and to facilitate safe
> > pedestrian/ cycle connections between the Muller Rd. Tesco and
> > residential neighbourhoods to the east.
> >
> > This is of great concern to many of us who live in the area and are
> > denied safe access to the Muller Rd. Tesco from neighbourhoods in
> > Easton and Eastville. We're distressed that the City Council has
> > failed to respond to these preventable tragedies with adequate
> > urgency, having only put up signs warning pedestrians of the danger,
> > instead of prioritising the implementation of a safe, signalised level
> > crossing, and investigation of the closure of the Stapleton Rd. offramp.
> >
> > More info about this and other Bristol transport debacles at:
> > http://onthelevelbl og.wordpress. com/2008/ 11/14/top- ten-bristol-
> transport- debacles/
>
<http://onthelevelblog.wordpress.com/2008/11/14/top-ten-bristol-transport-debacl\
es/>
> >
> > If you would like to help with this campaign, please contact Josh at
> > velorution@yahoo. com <mailto:velorution%40yahoo.com> In particular
> let me know if you can join us at
> > the site THIS Saturday 29th Nov. at NOON for a photo shoot by the
> > Evening Post.
> > Thanks for your help.
> >
> >
>
>
>