The safety of pedestrians at a mini-roundabout in Newport has been called into question — but according to a leading councillor, the danger is more a perception than reality.
Asking when the Hunnycross Way junction in Newport would be made safer for pedestrians, a member of the public told the Isle of Wight Council full meeting on Wednesday they find the crossing dangerous, every time they have to use it.
Councillor Ian Ward, the council’s cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, said the junction, which is between Lidl and Sainsbury’s fuel station, and almost underneath the dual carriageway, was not dangerous and would not be upgraded as it was not included in the funding package provided by government for improvements to Newport’s strategic junctions.
He said:
“The need to improve safety for pedestrians, using Hunnycross Way, has been revisited and it was found an independent signal-controlled pedestrian crossing cannot safely be installed in the approach.
“I know people do feel it is dangerous but it is more a perception than reality.”
Cllr Andrew Garratt, said the way a person perceives something to be hazardous had an impact on their wellbeing. He said:
“I would have hoped Cllr Ward may have discussed other ways … it allows people to feel safe, their wellbeing is enhanced.”
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Cllr Ward argued however where the line would be drawn between balancing reality with perception and said there had been talks of moving the junction further up the road. He said:
“This is council tax payers’ money we are spending on someone’s perception. We are not an administration that wastes money.”
Figures, quoted by Cllr Ward, showed there had only been 1 incident in the last 4 years, and 4 in the last 21 years.
Cllr Matthew Price, however, said the data cannot be relied upon as anyone driving through there between 08:30 and 09:00 would know how dangerous that junction can be. Cllr Price proposed of adding railings around the roundabout edge, to stop people crossing, and install a safe area to cross further up the road, closer to the fuel station.
In the last year I have seen 3 near misses on that roundabout involving pedestrians. IT IS A DEATHTRAP WAIITNG TO HAPPEN
I use that crossing twice a day 5 days a week at it busiest time, if you use common sense and use your eyes , it as safe as any crossing on the island , the only problems you see are idiots who can’t wait and try to run across or those who decide it’s their right of way and walk out in front of the traffic , we need the Green cross code man back to teach the idiots to look left and right , simples!!
and how many people have been knocked over, injured or killed on that roundabout, since it was first put there – zero….so stop whining and acting like weak snowflakes that need the whole world wrapped up in cotton wool for you.
I nearly got ran over because some idiot went speeding round there, the tunnel makes the vehicle sound muffled! Mind you it was a Beamer.
“We are not an administration that wastes money”
The amount of money this council has wasted on there own crazy circus show is scandalous, a complete contradiction right there! Lets name a few examples. Add your own to the comments below.
Floating Bridge.
St Marys roundabout that was perfectly fine and now has 15 sets of traffic lights.
Newly resufaced roads that get dug up a month after for water works.
Spraying covid 19 on pavements.
Trips to there second houses on the mainland and claiming it back on expenses.
If they’re spraying covid-19 on pavements no wonder we’ve got so many cases
Their already digging up the strand in Ryde and it’s only just been resurfaced! It now looks like a patch work quilt!
4 bags of quick dry cement, making 4 speed humps to slow traffic, tin of white paint, two new signs warning cars of such. £200 the lot.
Yet unless ultra costly and the council can’t ‘make’ on any work, or ‘contract’ then not interested in quick fix remedies.
Vote them out, for they won’t be risking their lives as they swan around in new huge cars, and live and work with easy parking, and safe areas.
Take it out out traffic lights in.
That would take them a year to doand half million pound to do. The council and Island roads= legalized criminals. The Kray twins wasn’t as bad as this lot.
The business leader, is, ironically the very worst.
Note they took the picture when there was no cars about
That picture is a very old one, very old.. are the steps still there ? No, it’s a nightmare for walkers, no one drives the right speed in fact the whole of Newport is a death trap for people on foot…. sorry Munch I wasn’t going to say that much!
Roundabouts don’t kill people, car drivers driving cars badly kill people.
“This is council tax payers’ money we are spending on someone’s perception. We are not an administration that wastes money.”
Errm…And what about the St. Mary’s roundabout scheme, of the Floating Bridge?!
yes it is dangerous one day someone will be hurt or killed ..but they need all the money to be spent on the shxxit floating turrd…
If island driver’s actually learned how to use roundabouts and indicators then that would make it a whole lot safer
Then we can move on to difference between slip ways and T junctions
Most “island driver’s” are from the mainland.
This is a dangerous roundabout for young people when going to and from school and the College also for the elderly who shop and live nearby. The traffic is very fast moving and consistent at most times of the day. I have seen near misses here and if you stop to let large numbers of young people cross the road the car behind you will delight in sounding its horn.
Then there are the cars that come under the bridge traveling towards Lidl and instead of going round the Lidl roundabout take the short cut by cutting in front of those that are to enter Lidl car park.
Cllr Ward said “This is council tax payers’ money we are spending on someone’s perception. We are not an administration that wastes money.”
Don’t make me laugh, Floaty Boaty 6 6million + lost, St mary’s Junction 9 million wasted, cllr expenses and pay rise more wasted money, feasibility studies over the years, megga millions wasted, and it goes on and on….
Perhaps cllr Ward should get of his a**e and try crossing that junction on foot between 4 and 5 pm or between 7.30 and 8.30 am
Their children are whisked to school in huge 4×4’s, dropped off right outside, and will never have to endure the danger they callously impose on those who pay their council tax to keep these self serving parasites in a well paid, but poorly done job
So, vote them OUT next given chance.
Last year the council paid out thousands for one man to come from the mainland to approve a minor change within the st Mary’s round about, and yet not one councillor has asked one islander if we should have this done ?
I wonder how many times Maj Ward has tried to cross it. IT IS DANGEROUS
It is a busy roundabout not only for cars bur pedestrians as well. I have used it as a pedestrian myself and it is a nightmare. Wonder when this councilor went and looked at it? Perhaps he/she needs to go to Specsavers.
Some time ago I spoke to someone from the council, that is the Isle of Wight Council, who was carrying out a traffic survey in connection with possible introduction of a pedistrian crossing on a busy road. They told me that one would not be installed until AFTER someone had been killed trying to cross the road. What mentality, but typical of the cretins of County Hall. Not only do we NEED to get rid of the so called elected councillors but also the rest of the rubbish in County Hall, what might be termed as civil servants, Metcalf and his cronies. May be Ward would be good enough to attend, together with his lollipop, and guide the old and young across the road, but be careful, he will get that wrong too.
This roundabout is a route our teenagers take from the town centre,bus station to the college.
Surely something could be done Mr Ward to protect our young adults?
Not saying wrap them up in cotton wool, but Island drivers and painted roundabouts just don’t seem to work.
As usual the know all council talking out of their nether regions, enough said.
It one of the most dangerous crossings on the island during peak and off peak time i would like to see one of the council transport member to cross the road at peak time
There used to be a footbridge when the railway was there.
It was the perception of most people that there was nothing wrong with St Mary’s roundabout and that the floating bridge is not fit for purpose but, as usual, the council know best. This man MUST be voted out at the next opportunity.
I’m a college student who crosses this death trap of a roundabout 5 days out of 7 a week on foot or in a car this roundabout is horrid i literally only started my college course about 2 months ago and in the time of me going to and from college I’ve already nearly been hit on multiple occasions at this roundabout and people are constantly cutting each other up around those 2 roundabouts near lydl say what you want about this “not dangerous” roundabout as a practically daily user all through the day this roundabout is a big accident waiting to happen to either me or any other of the hundreds of college students