NORTHAMPTONSHIRE – LETTERS TO CHRONICLE AND ECHO. NOT A PEEP FROM THE AUTHORITIES.
(NOTE: The letters and headings are as submitted, not as published)

How to save at least £4 million

So, the County Council needs to save by £100 million per year by 2014 report of 25th Nov.  Well for 15% (a typical consultant’s fee) I will identify £4 million worth right away.  Actually I will do it now in anticipation of an honorable and reduced £400,000 pay off. 

First cancel all the traffic management proposals that are currently planned. That may save £3 million annually.  At any rate the Cock Hotel junction improvement alone has a £2 million price tag and would be a disaster if past performance is anything to go by.  Then sack all the staff involved in foisting the past 10 years worth of congestion causing nonsense upon us. There may be 10 of them.  Their salaries plus overheads may amount to half a million pounds per year. Likewise with any staff associated with the so called camera partnership on the grounds that they has achieved absolutely nothing that could not have been achieved by doing absolutely nothing beyond fining tens of thousands who were driving perfectly safely for the conditions.  That gets us to £4 million saved, without trying.

After that something needs to be done about the ludicrous committee reports often running to over a hundred pages but seldom containing the essential summaries to do with costs.  Cutting those from 100 to the essential 5 pages would presumably cut the staff accordingly. Better still get rid of most of the reports. A prime contender would be the 24-sider with the title “Helping You to Help Yourself”. It cites the plan agreed at Council on 1 October 2009, when a new “core purpose” was agreed:, namely  “As an organisation we have defined our core purpose. These principles run throughout our approach to delivering outcomes:

We are here to help you help yourself

We are here to help you when you can’t help yourself.

We want you to see us as a trusted advocate.”

I comment; please go away, cut the red tape and fill the potholes.

Next tell the Government that we cannot afford the infrastructure required to accommodate the 62,000 houses they wish to foist upon West Northants and likewise the 66,000 houses for North Northants. Instead, the Government should note that Liverpool is a city designed for one million people that now contains only 440,000.

Any chance or an outbreak of common sense? Alternatively, why not tax, fine and bully us to death.

SKATE BOARDS AND TRAFFIC

Published

Mrs Noble (19th Nov) complains that the Council says it has no money for skate board parks whist spending thousands on lights that we do not need. By far the greater expenditure is by the County Council on the traffic lights that have come to festoon the town this last decade along with the ludicrous junction improvements that delay all of us needlessly, let alone the vast salaries paid to those responsible.
As to the delay cost, if the infamous Gas Street Roundabout, St Andrew’s Road, Gold Street trilogy of incompetence alone delay 20,000 vehicles each day by as little as two minutes the annual cost is over £3 million.  For the town as a whole that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Despite writing similarly on ten occasions since June 2008 not a peep have we had from the authorities.  Why is that?  Perhaps there is simply nobody in charge.  Perhaps they care not one jot what they do just so long as the salaries role in.

Pity about the vandalism which skate board and BMX parks might so very much reduce.

SPEED CAMERAS – THE DAMAGE THAT THEY HAVE DONE

The claim (4th November) made by the Councillor Heather Smith that the death toll in Northants has been reduced to an all time low is, we believe, a misrepresentation. What has happened since the start of the present punitive regime is that deaths per year have varied at random but with no discernable trend.  Last year, by pure chance, there were only 35 deaths, 18 below the average, but two years earlier there were 74 deaths, 21 above the average.  The year before that there were 42 deaths, 11 below the average. Back in 1994 there were only 36 deaths.  The plain fact is that the annual variation matches random numbers almost perfectly (see diagram below), demonstrating that this costly and damaging partnership has achieved nothing that could not have been achieved by doing absolutely nothing.

At the national level we find worse.  Far from these policies leading to an acceleration of the established downward trend in road deaths, that trend flattened off remarkably.  Indeed, had the previous trend continued there would have been 9,600 fewer deaths than actually occurred.

What is certain is that, nation-wide, 13 million speeding fines have been issued to motorists, nearly all whom were driving perfectly sensibly.  Moreover, despite the rhetoric, speeding, as a contributory factor, is recorded in only some 2% of road traffic accidents.

Not only have the police and officials pretended that a major cause of road traffic accidents is breaking the speed limit, when it is not, but also that a punitive, finger wagging, policy has saved lives when precisely the reverse appears to be the case.

Is there a better way of sabotaging our faith in those who govern over us?

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Two million pounds is to be spent “improving” the Cock Hotel Junction including the demolition of the White Horse. Pity about that. After all the millions spent on such schemes over the years has been an unmitigated disaster. 

The congestion at the Cock is caused mainly by the previous “improvement” when the number of lanes available to straight on traffic was reduced and when  traffic from the town centre was and is stopped at least two car lengths from the natural stop line in deference to non-existent pedestrians.  That cost at last half a million.

Perhaps the most lunatic improvement of them all is at the St Andrews Road junction by the railway station.  There left and right turns to and from St Andrews Road have been banned along with the straight on movement to Marefair.  That forces large detours and overloads the St Peter’s way roundabout whilst Marefair, a valuable link in the road network, is empty.  One good thing is that the planners can cheer the large area of seating that they have provided.  The non- existent people enjoy the traffic no end.

Not only do these schemes cost a fortune but they cause congestion all day when none need exist. The cost imposed on motorists will run to tens of millions of pounds per year let alone the frustration. Is it not time for the Council to get a grip, sack those who have imposed this nonsense upon us and put other sacks over the tops of 90% of the traffic signals in the town?  Next they could use nearly all the speed humps to fill potholes.  Just try driving through Brackmills – miles and miles of pure nightmare.

SPEED CAMERAS – THE DAMAGE THAT THEY HAVE DONE

This is similar to one above, both were published

The claim made by the Casualty Reduction Partnership that the death toll on the County’s Roads has been cut by 43% is, we believe, a fraud. What has happened in Northants, since the start of the present punitive regime, is that deaths per year have varied at random but with no discernable trend.  Since 1991 there have been an average of 53.5 deaths per year. Last year, by pure chance, there were only 35 deaths, 18 below the average, but two years earlier there were 74 deaths, 21 above the average.  The year before that there were 42 deaths, 11 below the average.  The plain fact is that the annual variation matches the expectation from random numbers almost perfectly (see diagram below), demonstrating that this costly and damaging partnership has achieved nothing that could not have been achieved by doing absolutely nothing.

At the national level we find worse.  Far from these policies leading to an acceleration of the established downward trend in road deaths, that trend flattened off remarkably.  Indeed, had the previous trend continued there would have been 9,600 fewer deaths than actually occurred.

What is certain is that, nation-wide, 13 million speeding fines have been issued to motorists, nearly all whom were driving perfectly sensibly.  Moreover, despite the rhetoric, speeding, as a contributory factor, is recorded in only some 2% of road traffic accidents.

Not only have the police and officials pretended that a major cause of road traffic accidents is breaking the speed limit, when it is not, but also that a punitive, finger wagging, policy has saved lives when precisely the reverse appears to be the case.

Is there a better way of sabotaging our faith in those who govern over us?

SPEED CAMERAS

Peter Jones letter of 20th May suggests speed cameras have a place.  Possibly they do, but only for catching true speedsters.  In contrast, micromanaging driver behaviour, coupled with a punitive regime for infringing inappropriate limits, is a sure way of undermining the development of responsible behaviour.  That will underlie why the previous long established downward trend in road deaths flattened off so disastrously in 1995.  Had previous trends continued then, nationwide, we would have had 9,600 fewer deaths than actually occurred.

The very word “enforcement” angers many people, particularly when the enforcement forces a motorist to dawdle like a fool.  Far better to treat people like adults and to encourage them to drive safely for the conditions.  After all, most of us are keen to stay alive.

Mr Jones was caught “speeding” at 4 am at road works on a deserted dual carriageway.  At that time 60 or 70 mph would probably have been reasonable.  Had Mr Jones being doing 70 mph heaven knows how many points they would have added to his licence, highlighting the idiocy of this stupid, finger waging approach.  Indeed, by slowing down, so as to comply with a pointless limit, Mr Jones risked being hit in the rear by someone who had not spotted the limit and who was otherwise driving sensibly.

The County Council’s recently boasted that deaths (in Northants) in 2008 were lower than ever before.  However, since 1992 there has been no discernable tend.  Instead there have been large year to year variations. Last year happened to be a good one.  What is certain is that there was a very marked reduction in the deaths between 1990 and 1994.  Perhaps they should investigate the reason for the sudden improvement.

I comment, speed cameras are not “just money makers” instead they are a disaster.

SPEEDING FINES

The fact that the police and others defend the speed cameras is to be deplored. Here are the facts. 

Nation-wide deaths per passenger-km were falling fast during the 14 years to 1995.  Instead of the attack on speed accelerating that trend the trend flattened off remarkably. The effect is that, by 2007, there were 9,600 more deaths than would have arise had the earlier trend continued. That happened despite the issue of 13.6 million speeding fines and despite the cameras being supported by countless speed humps and endless traffic management schemes that cause congestion and air pollution where none need exist. 

Of course no one would claim that the fines caused the deaths but (a) the number of fines is a proxy for the vigour with which the attack on speed has been pursued (b) the correlation between the additional deaths and the number of speeding fines is almost perfect.  Furthermore, speeding (defined as breaking the speed limit) amounts to less than 3% of the recorded causes of road accidents.

Despite that, Ministers and the police continue to support present policies with pointless statements such as 30% of road accidents are due to speed. The truth is that the authorities have rejected the highly successful approach used prior to the speed cameras in favour of an automatic and punitive system that has proved a disaster.

PUBLISHED 15th April 2009 PUBLISHED 23rd July 2009 Ref. Speed09BUS LANES AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

[NOTE to editor: You have been kind enough to publish a couple of previous letters on this subject but cut out what appears to me the crucial statistic, namely the delay costs associated with the traffic management measures that have been implemented over the past decade.  Hence, if any part of this letter sees the light of day, please leave the last paragraph intact].
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Ron Smith (6th April) accuses me of “ranting” against support given to buses.  That is not true. No doubt buses perform a useful function.  However, it is plainly stupid to imagine that that function can ever be large compared with the contribution made by cars.  After all, nearly 9 out of every 10 miles that are travelled are by car.  Furthermore, the dispersed land use enabled by the car is well-nigh impossible to serve by bus. If it were otherwise then that land use would have arisen in the past, but surprise, surprise, it did not.

The crucial issue that has been overlooked is the high cost imposed on motorists by the traffic management measures (particularly the banning of left, right and straight on movements at junctions) that have been foisted upon the community these last 10 years.

It is not unreasonable to suggest that those measures delay most journeys by a couple of minutes.  The cost is truly staggering.  In Northampton alone it would amount to £39 million per year. Nation-wide the bill would be in excess of £10 billion, let alone the air pollution
I pointed out on 4th March that Northampton’s endless traffic management schemes have cost many millions of pounds whilst causing delay to all of us every time we drive a car. The cost of that delay is truly staggering.  If each car journey is delayed by two minutes the delay cost in Northampton alone amounts to £39 million per year. Nation-wide the bill is in excess of £10 billion, let alone the air pollution.
That has arisen because the “planners” have a very big and stupid bee in their bonnets driven by Eco Warriors green mantra of “pedestrians first, followed by cyclists, then by people in buses and lastly by people in cars".  Blinded by the vision, they have overlooked the obvious, namely, in today’s world over 80% of travel is by car. Furthermore the car has enabled the present dispersed land use which is, by definition, nearly impossible to serve by bus.  If it were otherwise that land use would have generated in the past but it did not

Notwithstanding that, the pipe dream goes on.  They plan for orbital bus routes, park and ride, ever higher parking charges and yet more restrictions on the car.  Worse still, when a major development is planned they call on these untested “policies” and claim that, although the development will produce perhaps tens of thousands of vehicle per day, congestion will be no worse than it is today, or even reduced.

Let us hope our Councilors have the strength of will and common sense to stop (and painfully reverse) this expensive nonsense.

Meanwhile our Eco Warriors should note that the carbon emission from walking to the shops is said to be greater than that from driving. After all, our energetic walker fuels the trip with loads of baked beans, bangers and mash. Furthermore, a subsidised bus, lumbering around with a couple of passengers aboard, is one of the most environmentally damaging modes of transport known to man.

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Over the last 20 years of the Council has spent millions of pounds on the road junctions in Northampton. The sad result is that there is now endless congestion and air pollution where none need exist. 

That has been achieved by deliberately narrowing roads just where capacity is most needed, or by allocating a complete lane to an occasional bus, or to a minor turning movement, or by having all the traffic lights showing red long after green would be sensible at least somewhere, let alone the banned turns, which lengthen journeys and overload other junctions.  In addition there are pelican crossings by the dozen (costing £100,000 each) showing red long after a lone pedestrian may have crossed.

In short the traffic engineers appear to have a brief to bring us to a complete standstill in the name of the environment and the occasional bus.  (The consultant also earns 12% to 15% for every pound his staff succeed in spending on these ridiculous schemes, let alone the speed humps).

The latest fiascos are (a) the junction at the south end of St Andrew’s Road where no, no, no, you must not turn right or left into or out of that road or go straight ahead up Marefair (b) the extraordinary 43 signals at the St Peters way roundabout and (c) the banning of left or right turns into Gold Street.  The cost – at least £1.5 million let alone the inconvenience to the motorist.

The combined effect of all the schemes in the town will be to delay or divert tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of vehicles each day.  If 100,000 suffer either a one minute delay, or are diverted by half a kilometre (100 yards more than a quarter of a mile), then the cost amounts to £8.50 million pounds per year for ever and ever.

No wonder the town is dying – it has simply lost its head – as have those elected to lead us.

St ANDREWS ROAD

There have been considerable complaints about the junction at the south end of St Andrews Road, where, inexplicable, left and right turns are banned along with a straight on movement, complaints about the extraordinary 43 signals at the roundabout on St Peter Way and yet more complaints about the banned turns from Marefair to Gold Street. There are of course many other schemes that are equally stupid scattered across the town.

Not only have the schemes cost millions of pounds to build but they cause congestion and air pollution where none need exist.  That has been achieved by deliberately narrowing a road just where capacity is most needed, or by allocating a complete lane to an occasional bus or to a minor turning movement, or by having all the traffic lights showing red long after green would be sensible at least somewhere, let alone the banned turns, which lengthen journeys and overload other junntions.

The economic cost is huge. A one-minute delay to as few as 1,000 vehicles per day costs £82,000 in lost time over a full year.  Similarly, if 1,000 vehicles per day drive half a kilometre (one quarter of a mile plus 100 yards) further than necessary, due to a banned turn, then the cost is £88,700 per year.

The combined effect of all the schemes that have been introduced in Northampton will be to delay or divert tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of vehicles.  If 100,000 per day suffer either a one minute delay, or are diverted by half a kilometre, then the cost amounts to £8.50 million pounds per year for ever and ever.

That has arisen because the traffic engineers have a brief to bring us to a complete standstill in the name of the environment and the occasional bus.  (The consultant also earns 12% to 15% for every pound his staff succeed in spending on these ridiculous schemes, let alone the speed humps).

No wonder the town is dying – it has simply lost its head – as have those elected to lead us.

Date 24th June 2008 PUBLISHED Ref. Chron/speed07CAR UNFRIENDLY NORTHAMPTON

Your headline of 21st overlooked two major issues. Firstly there has been an extraordinary increase in the number of traffic signals both at junctions and for pedestrians.  These cause congestion and air pollution where none need exist. Secondly we have the speed cameras busily dishing out fines and license points on people who are driving sensibly for the conditions.

The authorities may claim that both measures have reduced the killed and seriously injured (KSI) casualties.  However, a close inspection of the data shows that, in the period prior to 1996, when there were few if any special measures, the KSIs fell by nearly 5% per year within the County as whole but by only 3.6% subsequently.  That has arisen despite the cameras being supported by hundreds if not thousands of speed humps and endless traffic management schemes . The implication is that if they and not built a single hump or installed a single additional set of traffic lights and if they had steadfastly refused to play with speed cameras then we would have fewer KSI casualties today than now occur. The collapse of that beneficial trend is even worse at the national level when deaths alone are considered.

Perhaps in the light of the data they will get real and embark on a traffic light and speed hump eradication programme - coupled with a sandbagging of the speed cameras.  Hopefully that will not cost as much as the many millions spent bring the Northampton to a near standstill.