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STATES OF JERSEY
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SPEED LIMITS: REVISED POLICY (P.167/2010) – THIRD AMENDMENT
Lodged au Greffe on 13th January 2011 by Deputy M.R. Higgins of St. Helier
STATES GREFFE
SPEED LIMITS: REVISED POLICY (P.167/2010) – THIRD AMENDMENT PAGE 2, PARAGRAPH (a)(ii)–
After the words "and roads with no centre line" insert the words "with the exception of St. Aubin's Inner Road, St. Helier, from the start of the built-up area above the Lower Park and before King George V Cottage Homes to the St. Helier/St. Lawrence boundary near Mont Félard where a 25 miles per hour speed limit wi apply".
DEPUTY M.R. HIGGINS OF ST. HELIER
REPORT
St. Aubin's Inner Road is one of two main thoroughfares from the west of the Island into St. Helier . The other is the dual carriageway section along Victoria Avenue. As a consequence, St. Aubin's Road has high traffic volumes, with historical Transport and Technical Services traffic-counter readings taken adjacent to King George V Homes indicating some 14,000 vehicles a day using the road. This can be compared to more rural roads such as the Grande Route de St. Laurent by St. Lawrence Church carrying about 6,000 vehicles a day.
Part of this road is also very narrow in places, with a number of choke points, and has one bend near the Spar Convenience Store near Hansford Lane which has been the scene of a number of accidents.
This stretch of St. Aubin's Road is also heavily populated, with a large number of apartment buildings, flats and bed-sits. It also has a primary school, churches, shops and a park, which leads to reasonably large numbers of pedestrians needing to cross the road during the day. As there are relatively few designated crossing points, it can be extremely difficult for even able-bodied people to cross the road, and is extremely hazardous for the elderly, the less mobile, disabled and children. Many drivers also regularly exceed the speed limit and seem to think that the space in any gap in traffic needs to be filled as rapidly as possible.
Whilst many members may find it strange that I am seeking a 25 mph speed limit rather than a 20 mph limi for this road, I do so for 2 reasons. Firstly, as a driver I know how difficult it can be to maintain 20 mph for an extended period of time in a modern manually-geared car, as anyone who religiously tries to keep to the 20 mph speed limit in St. Peter 's Village knows. And secondly because of the length of the road to which I am seeking the restriction to apply, and my desire not to unduly penalise drivers for exceeding unrealistically low speed limits. If drivers using this road can comfortably drive their cars at 5 miles an hour less speed than they do at the present time, they are less likely to exceed the new speed limit and incur unnecessary fines or other penalties, and at the same time they will improve the safety of residents and other road-users as well.
The 25 mph speed limit may also result in some of the traffic that started using the Inner Road during the road-works along Victoria Avenue in 2009 being diverted back onto the Avenue where it belongs, and where the drivers can drive at up to 40 mph.
Financial and manpower implications
The only direct cost involved in adopting this proposition is new signage, which is insignificant in relation to the costs involved in attending a speed-related collision and the medical costs that may be involved.