Yorkshire town disappointed by traffic light loss
Denholme, a small Yorkshire town that comes under Bradford City Council, has expressed its disappointment that the Council has decided against installing traffic lights at a junction already considered dangerous.
A consultation was held with residents and Denholme Town Council to look at improvements to New Road, particularly in light of a planning application for 35 new homes. The road is already busy and there were concerns that additional traffic would make the junction with Long Causeway even more dangerous.
Traffic count for peak hours
At the end of the consultation, Denholme Town Council recommended the installation of traffic lights to manage traffic flow. When the housing application was submitted however, the only concession to additional traffic was new road markings and signs. The Town Council was happy with the plans for new housing, provided adequate provision was made for traffic and pedestrian safety at the junction.
A traffic survey has been conducted at the junction which shows a total of more than 6,500 vehicles using the junction during peak hours. Explaining Bradford City Council’s decision against traffic lights, its principal engineer for Highway Development Control said:
“The opinion is the layout of the junction would require three-phase signals rather than the usual two, and this would increase potential delays.
“As part of the proposals for the development, the substandard visibility at the Long Causeway junction is being greatly improved, and this will significantly improve the safety of motorists. This forms part of the recommendation to the planning panel meeting, but the final decision will be made by members at that meeting.”
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