The High Street is a relatively narrow road and is ill equipped to deal with modern day traffic. It serves as a main thoroughfare for vehicles travelling to Potton as well as being used by regular commuters as a way of avoiding the traffic queuing at the A1 roundabout by leaving the A1 at St Neots Road, driving along the High Street and re-joining the A1 down Station Road/New Road. This slows traffic through the town adding to pollution and congestion on most weekday mornings, especially between 7.45 and 9.00 am.
The junction of the High Street with Station Road/New Road is extremely poor and hard to manoeuvre for HGV’s so that large, heavily laden lorries use the High Street in preference to using New Road/ Station Road. They do so at speed over the road humps with minimal regard for the 20 mph speed limit which creates extra traffic noise for residents.
When two HGV’s need to pass each other in each direction, especially where there are parked vehicles, it is difficult for them to do so and there is increased pollution as the traffic slows to a halt while they negotiate their route through the town. There needs to be a ban on HGV’s using St Neots Road and the High Street with suitable improvements made to New Road/Station Road for them to use instead.
Comments from members:
"Some thought could be given to the pedestrian crossings controlled by lights to synchronise the light changes to aid smoother traffic flow."
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"Central Beds Council needs to listen to residents and take action to improve the road network and to ban HGV’s from travelling through the town."
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"I AM BECOMING INCREASINGLY CONCERNED REGARDING THE SPEED OF DRIVERS ON THE HIGH STREET.
I LIVE AND WORK ON THE HIGH STREET, AND AM WITNESS TO DRIVERS BEHAVIOUR DAY AND NIGHT.
ALL HOURS, DAY AND NIGHT ARE DREADFUL. EARLY MORNINGS AND FROM MIDNIGHT ARE PARTICULARLY BAD.
I HAVE WITNESSED MOTOR CYCLISTS "PULLING WHEELIES", CARS OVERTAKING AND A CAR AND TRAILER GOING SO FAST OVER THE SPEED RAMPS THAT THE TRAILER LIFTED OF THE GROUND, THE LIST GOES ON.
I FEAR THAT AT SOME POINT THERE WILL BE A FATALITY ON THIS ROAD, AND I URGE THAT SOMETHING BE DONE."
Andy Maycock - posted 8 October 2014=============================