MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

MAIDSTONE JOINT TRANSPORTATION BOARD

17 JANUARY 2018

 

REFERENCE FROM COUNCIL

 

BRIDGES GYRATORY SYSTEM

 

At the meeting of the Council held on 6 December 2017, the following motion was moved by Councillor Harper, seconded by Councillor Adkinson:

 

The works on the Bridges Gyratory System is now eventually finished, as far as Kent County Council is concerned.  However for residents from the West of Maidstone, including Fant, Bridge, Heath, Allington and Barming Wards there has been a deterioration in traffic conditions.  There are now longer delays for road traffic getting through the Broadway Gyratory to the Bridges Gyratory.  For pedestrians with the closure of the underpasses, except that to Medway Street, access to the Town Centre has significantly deteriorated.  For cyclists there is now only the Medway Street underpass which requires them to dismount on St Peters Bridge as there are no dropped curves. 

Overall therefore whilst the works may have improved access to through traffic on the East Bank, for those from the West Bank it is worse than before.


This Council resolves to:

1.     Review the Gyratory System to see how remedial measures can be implemented to improve the access to the Town Centre from pedestrians and cyclists from the West of Town.

2.     Review the timing of the traffic signals etc. to see if that can improve traffic circulation from the West of Maidstone to the Town Centre.

3.     In particular at the main pedestrian crossing from the Bazalgette Bridge to the bottom of the High Street look to see if a pedestrian phase can be introduced to allow pedestrians to cross both carriageways in one go.

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.4, the motion, having been moved and seconded, was referred to the Maidstone Joint Transportation Board which will be reviewing the performance of the Bridges Gyratory System later in the year.

RECOMMENDED:  That the Maidstone Joint Transportation Board consider the motion relating to the Bridges Gyratory System when reviewing the performance of the System later in the year.

 

NOTE:   A briefing note provided by the Officers to assist the Council in its consideration of the motion is attached as Appendix A.