Controversial plan to reintroduce traffic signals at junction passed by council

A CONTROVERSIAL move to reintroduce traffic signalling at the Catherine Street junction in Kirkintilloch town centre has been passed by East Dunbartonshire Council.

Last year the council ordered traffic modelling exercises to be carried out to help decide whether traffic lights needed to be reinstated at the junction following redevelopment of the area.

The recommendations were against doing so despite demand from local residents.

Council leader Gordan Low said the council had debated this issue several times in recent years, each time resulting in deferments for further consultation.

He said: “This process has been going on now for the lifetime of two councils. The options have been consulted on, modelled and remodelled and I would suggest the council finally make a decision one way or the other.”

Councillor Low added that public concern around the project had centred on vulnerable road users who feel the space is less usable following redevelopment and this was why he had on three separate occasions moved for the reintroduction of signalling. An independent accessibility study concluded the space was “hostile” for vulnerable pedestrians, especially visually impaired people and recommended reintroducing traffic signals.

Supporting the original recommendations from council officers, councillor Alan Moir said the safety concerns were less to do with the layout of the junction rather than the behaviour of drivers and the matter was a question of enforcement and introducing unwanted street furniture would “send mixed messages”.

He pointed out that the report delivered to councillors contained a list of 18 possible risks relating to traffic lights being reintroduced, including longer queues and the possibility of drivers rushing to avoid red lights.

He added that the junction had long been a topic raised in political campaigns and would hate to see this result in the safety of the junction being negatively affected.

Councillor Susan Murray also supported reinstatement of the lights.

“The lights will add to accessibility and will help locals and visitors feel safer,” she said, pointing out that the phasing of the lights could be adjusted to give pedestrians longer to cross if needed.

Seconding councillor Low, councillor Pamela Marshall said that although some drivers were courteous and waited for pedestrians to cross, others had been witnessed mounting the kerbs or refusing to slow down on approach to the junction.

She said the lights would reduce confusion over priorities at the junction and benefit visually impaired people especially, and as someone who expects to become a wheelchair user in the future, she felt especially compelled to speak on behalf of disabled people.

Councillor Billy Hendry said it would be “remiss” of the council to contravene the recommendations made by officers, especially when reconfiguring the junction would cost several hundred thousand pounds.

Councillor Stewart McDonald said the report under consideration contained “robust warnings” against installing traffic lights, that it would be expensive and negatively affect bus services. He added that the public would be “furious” if traffic flow became worse as the result of implementing the lights.

“To plough on against robust officer recommendations without giving options such as gateway improvements a chance would be seen as reckless,” he warned.

In summary, councillor Low said that the junction had been consulted on repeatedly and the views of the community had not changed.

He added that the underlying issue was making town centres accessible for everyone, including vulnerable people. He said issues with people having to wait longer at junctions were less important than people being excluded from the town centre.

Councillor Moir concluded by saying that new businesses were coming to the town centre thanks to the redevelopment and urged his fellow councillors not to commit “street vandalism” and undo all the goodwill they had generated.

After votes against amendments from councillors Moir and Murray it was councillor Low’s amended recommendations – which include reinstating the traffic lights – which were agreed.