Thursday, September 11, 2014

Tommy Hogg: "“Although Nairn South is done and dusted apparently, I still think that Station Brae is a disaster.”

The ongoing ordeal for pedestrians and motorists that is the Station Brae traffic situation exercised minds once again as Community Councillor Leslie Boulton told his River CC colleagues last night at the regular meeting in the URC hall that last Friday morning there were sixteen cars waiting to get under the railway bridge heading into town on the Cawdor Road, two at the first stop and another 14 queued all the way back up to the football ground at the other. 

Chair Tommy Hogg said: “Although Nairn South is done and dusted apparently, I still think that Station Brae is a disaster.”

Murd Dunbar said: “somebody is going to get really hurt there and there is no need for it.” 

There was further discussion of the road layout on Station Brae and then Liz MacDonald said:

“I remember before the measures were put in at Station Brae and they have been adapted slightly for the cyclist thing. The problem was not the traffic, it was pedestrians and trying to keep pedestrians safe going up and down the brae. Widening the pavement at the bottom has made it safer for pedestrians and that’s what I’ve had calls about, people with buggies and pushchairs using the pavement and how close cars are. And going under that bridge although those measures might not be to everyone’s liking and they slow down the traffic they keep the traffic away from the pavement where people are walking. ” 
Murd maintained the the island to separate cars from cyclists was forcing drivers onto the wrong side of the road. Murd said that it worked perfectly well beforehand and he wanted to see the chicanes taken away. 

Liz was worried that two cars might try to squeeze under the bridge at the same time an reiterated her concern for pedestrians.
Morning Traffic at Station Brae

Stephanie Whittaker disagreed with Murd, she said: “the other day there was a wheelchair coming down from the home the other side of St Olaf’s and a buggy coming up and I had no choice but to go on the road. It’s dangerous, I’m an adult I can see what is happening, if you’re a kid going down to Millbank without any pedestrian access there it would be extremely dangerous. So I disagree with you I don’t think that can be taken out until something better is put in place.”

The community council agreed to take the subject forward to the next combined community council meeting of the town’s three CCs and Liz said she would ask the Council road guys if there were any suggestions they could make that would improve the situation.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

In general vehicles can sort themselves out but pedestrians and cyclists are a lot more vulnerable.

The footpath just isn't wide enough for two buggies or wheelchairs to pass each other without going onto the road, but much the same is true for many areas of Nairn

Would a speed restriction to 20mph help matters?

Anonymous said...

Well some people have a short memory! Sorry Nairn, you cant have it both ways.....
http://www.gurnnurn.com/2010/02/station-brae-accident-waiting-to-happen.html Oh and this one... http://www.gurnnurn.com/2011/07/how-long-before-pedestrian-is-killed-on.html

Anonymous said...

get rid of the "unofficial" bypass traffic and the situation will sort itself.

Unknown said...

wait and see,a set of traffic lights will be next,causing cars to use George street to get to high steet

Anonymous said...

Instead of asking the council guys, why doesn't Liz tell them to sort it?

Or do the Councillors not take their role seriously?

Anonymous said...

Murd is correct as your picture proves. The driver of the silver car has committed her/himself to get round the island, hence blocking the road and causing a traffic jam. For goodness sake listen to the man he's lived in queenspark long enough to know. Get rid of the islands.

Luke Skywalker, Shanghai said...

What about my skywalk suggestion ?

Brian Turner said...

Is there truly nothing in the £170 million Aberdeen-Inverness rail improvement scheme to tackle improving the bridge?
http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/-170m-to-improve-Inverness-to-Aberdeen-rail-ae7.aspx

Anonymous said...

@ Brian Turner

The link you posted is about much needed improvements for the rail service. I'm sure the bridge is more than adequate for trains so why would monies allocated for rail be used to improve matters for vehicles and pedestrians passing under the bridge?