Road schemes are madness

THIS is be a copy of  a letter sent to Mr David Burton, head of all Rotherham’s Streetpride road scheme operations.

Whilst I’m sure the Brexit from the EU may dominate discussions for the next few months we CANNOT ignore the sheer manic road/street alteration programme in  and around the town of Rotherham.

This is usually the season when councils look to use up funds before the end of the tax year but surely in this time of so called austerity common sense MUST dictate decisions instead of what looks like rank nonsense being driven with no evidence  of proper priorities or even proper safety  issues.

It seems that Mr Burton’s departments have launched an assault on the town, with a manic obsession with altering pavements, creating pedestrian crossings, traffic light systems every 50 yards, so is all this really necessary? So we’ve got a town in almost traffic lockdown, queues everywhere, impeding bus timetables and temporary traffic lights which have been set up by people who clearly have no idea  of efficient traffic control.

Add to this the already manic obsession to what’s called speed bumps and every  main roundabout seems to want to hold the UK record of which one has the most traffic lights on it, which after all this manic obsession with traffic lights seems to have done nothing to ease traffic congestion or make any difference to general  safety, so now even when there is no rush hour there’s queues often on our main roundabouts?

The whole street management programme needs to be overhauled and proper priorities set so that when such work is necessary it’s done efficiently so as to cause the minimum disruption to townsfolk, with a real sense of priorities as to where monies need to be spent.

Why have Cinderbridge Road, Garden Street and Tenter Street, and other minor connecting streets been completely resurfaced as a priority over the essential main approach trunk roads such as Wickersley Roundabout, the carriageway through Listerdale townward, and the worst of all surely must be the townbound road  surface of  Fitzwilliam Road which is a total disgrace? So when exactly are these urgent road repairs going to be finally sorted?

On the current upheaval at St Annes Roundabout, there was absolutely no reason for one lane approaching the roundabout to have been coned off, with proper sensible organisation the traffic queues into town should have been avoided, maybe some tinpot supervisor making decisions at ground level for health and safety reasons hhmm?

A clear explanation of  this crass mixed up priorities must be made as part of Mr Burton’s accountability.

Also why have traffic lights for the slip road on Centenary Way next to Cookes pet stores...this is simply daft.. similarly the slip roads at Whiston crossroads, traffic lights are not needed for those junctions.

Why is it necessary to have hundreds of  traffic lights on the main roundabouts on all  day, except at peak times to coincide with school times and the peak rush hour, this would save lots of money and keep traffic flowing freely through the day as is we even get queues on roundabouts when there’s no rush hour.

As and when work needs to be done ... ensure you don’t paralyse the town area by doing too many projects all at one time but spread such work evenly over the year,  get rid of this trite obsession with making the town grind to a halt caused by traffic light system many of which can’t even be justified, turn off the main roundabout traffic lights except at peak times, properly maintain our essential roads in and out of  town, avoid congestion and disruption by sensible planning programmes, spend monies on a priority basis....none of this is rocket  science, and if Mr Burton  can’t do the right thing... then let’s put someone who into that well paid job who will  bring in some much-needed urgent sanity to Rotherham’s Steet/road  operations....and do it soon!!

Stephen Fodor, Ravenfield