'Pencil cones' answer to cyclist safety at Thompson's Cross
They are part of a number of measures which are being implemented following the Audit, which resulted from serious criticism of changes made at the controversial crossing in October of last year. In these, the slip lanes to and from the secondary roads of the junction were removed and replaced with concrete abutments.
The criticisms came from motorists affected by turning traffic, and from cyclists forced out into mainstream traffic ahead of the junction.
The Diary has been told that a contractor will be on site next month to complete the new measures, which include the pencil cones which ‘encourage gradual merging onto the main road for cyclists, as per road safety best practice’.
Other measures are the removal of excess signage, ‘to help concentrate driver attention on the important ones’; and the addition of a 1.2m footpath ‘extending from the junction for a short distance’.
Cllr Rob Power, who elicited the information following a request from the Diary, says these improvements will come from existing resources within KCC. “As was mentioned before, if a roundabout is to be funded it would require significant investment and would certainly require national funding.”
ED NOTE: The foregoing is the news item. Here’s my comment … except that I’m temporarily at a loss for words! For the moment, all I can do is ask how many of those conducting the safety audit actually spent some time negotiating the junction on bicycles?
