Red Route II

I was particularly disappointed by our local freebie newspaper The Great Barr Observer over it’s coverage of the Red Route consultation in their letters columns; my post Monday 30th March detailed my objections to the main persons comments in opposition to the recommendations. They chose not to publish my letter but publish a somewhat weak response from the person who had challenged earlier letters. I suppose my comments were rather more personal an attack than they consider appropriate but with the kind of scaremongering his letter contained I think it was necessary.
Anyone who has not followed this debate closely could be mislead by the headline that “Lights would make traffic worse” and indeed be lead to think that those of us who live in the Hamstead triangle are somehow going to have our lives put at risk by the introduction of a set of traffic lights. What utter bloody rubbish.
Some years ago a plan to introduce a red route along Newton Road was defeated by local opposition but largely as I remember it because the council folded under pressure. I do hope that this time a similar fate does not meet this scheme. The last time they did not have petitions calling for some of the measures and we did not have a Labour councillor to press for the measures. It’s easier for an opposition member to blame the party in power for a failed attempt much more difficult if it’s your party bottling out. More info on the scheme can be obtained by logging on to http://www.allsaints2scottarms.co.uk/ConsultationHome.aspx I have looked again at the proposals and although if I put myself in the frame of a resident living on the Newton Road there are some circumstances where they might feel uneasy about the proposals (the lights on stilts at the junct. of Hamstead Road) but for all other users of this road what is being suggested is a major step forward in road safety. I will continue supporting and campaigning for it. The red route work at Scott Arms now all the regulations are in force is helping traffic flow at this our busiest junction. I have no reason to believe that similar conditions will apply on Newton Rd and All Saints Way.
Tonight we have our town committee meeting and I understand from reading our local evening newspaper a opposition group from the All Saints Way end of the route will be presenting a petition against the plans for their end. Should be a lively and entertaining meeting and as I understand the last town committee meeting. Must make an effort to attend.