Email to NYC Highways : Whitby Road System Problems

With reference to your list of queries, I will attempt to answer them as best I can, but I need to stress right from the outset that the funding for the majority of alterations that you are seeking usually come from one of three sources:

• Developer funding improvements – When we can show that alterations are needed because of a develop led scheme such as a new housing estate, then we can ask the developer to fund certain works. However, we need to be able to prove that the alterations are needed because of the new work being proposed.
• Government Grants or invitations to bid – From time to time the Government offer additional funding for which we are either given a pro-rata slice, or we have to bid for the money. Usually there are many constraints around the schemes that are eligible and sometimes it is not always possible to match a much wanted scheme with the particular constraints put on some of the bidding processes.
• Collision Investigation – Our Collision Investigation Team, based at County Hall have a budget to spend at high risk sites where they can make alterations which hopefully can reduce the number or severity of future injuries. All the police recorded injury collisions are recorded and sites with a high history of personal injuries will be looked at to see if any improvements can be applied to that location. Injuries are ranked as either Slight, Serious or Fatal. Obviously the team will concentrate on locations with high numbers of and high severities of injuries, rather than sites with only a few “Slight” injuries.  This way it is hoped that what little funding we have is spent at the locations where it can have the most benefit.

Without the funding from sources like the ones listed above, there simply is not the money to do the alterations residents or communities ask for.

Mayfield Road:

As you say, this is currently covered by a 30mph speed restriction and this is appropriate given the layout and location of the road. Anyone exceeding this speed limit is, I am sure, fully aware that they are breaking the law. Enforcement of this limit rests with the Police, who are the enforcement authority.

The lack of pedestrian facilities at 4-Lane Ends roundabout was assessed recently and no further enhancements are planned here. There have been no recent recorded pedestrian injuries here, demand is low, plus any formal crossing facilities would be away from any desire lines and perhaps not fully utilised.

The lack of a formal crossing facility on a half mile stretch of A road is not uncommon. There is no obvious locality with high demand.

Mayfield Junction, and the traffic signals in particular have to balance the needs of both pedestrians and vehicles. The wait time for pedestrians has been mentioned to us before and passed to our Signals Engineers. They do not recognise your comment of more than three minutes, but do acknowledge that as with any crossing facility, pedestrians need to wait their turn for a safe crossing opportunity.  The junction has only relatively recently been installed and has been designed using the most current equipment to best manage the competing demands being asked of it.

Replacing the signals at Mayfield Road with a roundabout with signalised pedestrian facilities would need land that is not under our control and would cost millions. Plus it would be less efficient and lead to longer traffic delays.

People trying to access the A171 from at the junction with St Andrews Road and Pembroke Way will always experience delays in doing so. There are no plans to signalise this junction.

We have looked at the bus stop outside Cademon College but any redesign would need land from the school. The recent proposal to combine the schools in Whitby may give us an opportunity to improve the situation here, but the cost/benefit discussions would have to be had first with the Education Authority.

Spittal Bridge junction is planned to be converted into a signalised junction as part of the Swingbridge Public Realm scheme. Work is not fully programmed yet, but it is hoped to start very early in the next calendar year.

Helredale Road – Again this is another A road so heavy traffic is to be expected. Any instances of speeding should be reported to the Police. The heavy mine traffic is restricted and is also banned from using the B1416 through Ruswarp, so it has no alternative other than to use the A171.  As intimated above, A roads form vital arteries around the country and so will take a large proportion of the traffic.

With reference to the school on Helredale Road, it currently benefits from a signalised crossing facility, pedestrian railings, a bus layby and school Keep Clear markings.  I am struggling to know what more we can do here. I note the letter sent out from the school, but that was their decision and no discussions was held with my team or our Traffic Engineering Team. From what little I know, the school caters for children from 3 to 11 and I can only assume that the school’s idea of parental responsibility is not matching those of some parents.  According to my records there have only been two injury collisions as shown below during 2017 – 2021.  The details of these collisions are as follows;

• 06/02/2017 – 18:00 – Location A171 Stainsacre Lane, Whitby opposite East Whitby Primary School. Vehicle 2 – Travelling north on A171 towards Whitby stops on nearside to allow passenger to alight. Vehicle 1 travelling in the same direction commences to overtake vehicle 2. Pedestrian 1 runs from front of vehicle 2 into the path of vehicle 1 and sustains serious injuries.

• 23/04/2017 – 10:40 – Location A171 Stainsacre Lane, Whitby approximately 50 metres north of junction with Eskdale Road. Vehicle 1 travelling at sped on A171 towards Whitby being pursued by marked police vehicle. Vehicle 1 overtakes several slow moving vehicles but loses control and collides with vehicle 2. Driver of vehicle 1 then decamps but is later arrested. 1 driver suffers slight injuries.

There are no plans to undertake any alterations at this location.

Love Lane roundabout has only one “slight” injury recorded during the period 2017 – 2021: Unfortunately the details of this incident have not been loaded onto the system yet.

Mini roundabouts rely on drivers behaving in an appropriate manner and do, in the main work very efficiently. There are no plans to change this junction at the present time.

The speed limits along Sandsend Road are appropriate given the guidance laid out in the Government’s guidance document “Setting Local Speed Limits” which is available to view on-line.  We have no plans to alter the speed limits here.

Larpool Lane – As with every road, drivers have a responsibility to drive to the conditions. Government guidance says (in simple terms) that speed limits should not be used just because of a hazard, such as a sharp bend. The Highway Authority should place warning signs for the bend and drivers can then chose the most appropriate speed.  The Police would not support the placing of a 20mph limit here as it would only be complied with by almost continuous enforcement. 

Ruswarp 20 – I will ask one of my Engineers to check the advance signing for the 20 mph limit, but I believe it is signed appropriately already. If drivers choose to disobey the speed limit then we are moving into the Police’s area of responsibility.

I hope I have gone part way to explaining our current position on the matters you have listed but I am sure you will have some further queries as a result of this.  Please do not hesitate to get back in touch to discuss them further, or if you would like a face-to-face meeting in the Whitby Office, please let me know.

Area 3 Highways