CREATING a new bus gate in Colchester town centre will shut off a rat-run and help create a safe route for cyclists, pedestrians and schoolchildren, it has been claimed.
Colchester Cycling Campaign is backing Essex County Council's plan for a new route from Butt Road, in the south of the town, to Bruff Close, near North Station.
The project includes the installation of a new bus gate which will most ban traffic from entering North Station Road from Middleborough.
Modelling from Essex County Council, revealed in a Freedom of Information request submitted by Sir Bob Russell, shows this would push 3,127 vehicles on to Westway and the Colne Bank roundabout.
Of these vehicles, 874 of the cars which used the road belonged to residents and visitors or staff to the business in the area whilst more than 2,000 didn't stop.
Will Bramhill, vice-secretary of Colchester Cycling Campaign, said: "Sir Bob’s figures show that 69 per cent of northbound cars using North Station Road are rat-runners.
"These drivers contribute nothing except fumes, noise and danger.
"The bus gate will bring huge benefits. Losing 2,000 rat-runners’ cars will mean a far higher quality of life.
"It will turn North Station Road back into a street for people rather than one dominated by cars.
"Anyone who cares for their neighbours and the hundreds of children at North School will be backing these plans, and we’d like to thank Sir Bob for his tenacity.”
Read more:
- North Station Road bus gate will push 3k vehicles a day down busy roads
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The area surrounding North Station Road is surrounded by about 1,000 homes as well as a primary school and nursery attended by 450 children.
Mr Bramhill said the new bus gate would also stop much of the northbound rat-running which sees drivers use Causton Road, Albert Street and Serpentine Walk to avoid gridlock on main town centre streets.
He said: "Drivers are bottled up in traffic, become frustrated, then use their local knowledge to roar along these narrow streets, which must be terrifying for the people who live there.
"The bus gate will help put traffic where it belongs - on Westway, which was purpose-built in the 1970s to relieve North Station Road.”
He added Colchester Cycling Campaign officers had offered to meet Sir Bob on several occasions but their offer had been declined.
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