Discussion Forum

New traffic lights/pedestrian crossing junction Holme Street/A646

Posted by Ann Anthon
Tuesday, March 7, 2006

Now third week since new system came into operation. I certainly had not understood the safety island in the middle of the A646 was to be removed. Because there is now no 'barrier' to slow traffic down, vehicles are coming through the lights much faster than before but pedestrians are still trying to get half way across even when little man is 'red' against them, then finding themselves stranded with no island to reach and traffic coming at them. Several times I have seen pedestrians start to cross from Holme House - having seen an empty road to the right - but not what is coming at speed out of sight to the left until half way across the road. I suggest we should be pressing for this traffic island to be re-instated before there is an accident. Personally I am no longer using this crossing preferring the safer, narrower crossing opposite the cinema.


Posted by A Brown
Wednesday, March 8, 2006

Don't forget we are only a few weeks into a large program of works, there is still much more to be completed. Of course if people are crossing against a red man they will get stuck. If they can't obey the lights (both cars and people) no system will work. Many crossings have no islands but people cross safely. This is not a fault of the crossing, it's a fault with the people.


Posted by Ann Anthon
Wednesday, March 8, 2006

I forgot to mention yesterday the morning traffic jams along the A646 back to Whiteley Arches entirely due to the new lights at West End/Holme Street being wrongly phased for rush hour traffic Let us hope this gets sorted soon.


Posted by Fran
Thursday, March 9, 2006

The work described under "traffic chaos" previously was completed 5 weeks before anticipated. The workmen took a lot of stick including verbal abuse from motorists. I've been told by regular pedestrians in Hebden Bridge how friendly, helpul and patient they were. One man threw himself into the road to get an unsupervised child out of the path of oncoming traffic and was off work with an injury to his achilles tendon. Maybe we should remember when we are chunnering about the inconvenience to us that they are "only doing their job". One lady told me she wanted to walk around Hebden Bridge with a banner saying "All praise to the British Workman" .