Medway Labour & Co-operative Group are calling on Medway Council to run a pilot ’20 is plenty’ scheme, some of the most dangerous roads in Strood.

The Council had previously agreed to investigate the potential for a ‘20 is plenty’ pilot scheme as part of the Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny work programme on 15^th June 2017, but this work has yet to take place.

The Council’s inaction on the issue prompted local resident Peter Bonney to start a petition asking the Council to implement a 20mph traffic zone in central Strood.

Peter Bonney, Strood resident and petition organiser, said ‘We feel it’s time something  was done to control rat running through residential areas in Central Strood and around schools to control the speeding, endless damage to resident’s cars and just to remind drivers these are narrow Victorian side streets. We are asking for a 20 mph speed limit.’

Cllr Stephen Hubbard, Medway Labour & Co-operative Councillor for Strood North said, “I am keen to have a common-sense approach to traffic control in central Strood; alleviate traffic congestion, eliminate rat running and reduce risk of injury. That is why I am asking the council to consider a 20mph zone in streets bordered by London Road, Gun Lane, and Cliffe Road.

‘In Weston Road parked vehicles, near continually, line both sides of the street. Vehicles are often driven at speed along this street, and parked vehicles are increasingly being damaged. There is an alarming increase in the number of road rage incidents occurring. Residents have witnessed resultant potential assaults and in one case a man got out of his car with a knife.’

Cllr Andy Stamp, Medway Labour & Co-operative Spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture said, ‘Medway Labour have been calling on the Council to trial a 20mph zone for the past 3 years. Any Medway resident who travels in and around central Strood can recognise the need for a more efficient road system that prioritises safety, especially around pedestrian areas and near schools. The majority of pedestrian casualties occur in built up areas, and speed significantly increases the chances of being injured in a collision.

‘Medway Conservatives’ inaction on this issue is confusing and frustrating for residents. 20mph schemes are a low-cost opportunity to address community concerns, and a pilot scheme means that any changes are easily reversible.’

The petition reads as follows:

‘We the undersigned petition Medway Council to undertake a review of traffic flow travelling through ‘central’ Strood. Year on year the number of vehicles ‘rat running’ through the streets bordered by A2 (London Road) and the A228(Gun Lane & Frindsbury Road), to avoid town centre traffic, has increased to well above tolerable levels.

Back in the early 90’s the then Rochester upon Medway City Council undertook a public consultation which resulted in the installation of traffic calming features that can be found on Weston Road, Bryant Road, Gordon Road, Jersey Road, Cromer Road and Brompton Lane. Those measures helped lower traffic volumes in the short term and still moderate traffic speeds today.

We ask the council to install a 20mph traffic zone in ‘central’ Strood streets. We believe that a lower speed zone will deter a proportion of the ‘rat running’; as well as making the streets safer for pedestrians. We ask the council to consider introducing one-way streets and partial permanent road closure to break up ‘rat running’ routes.

We strongly request that as part of Medway Council’s review of the Strood North Control Parking Zone (CZP) that consideration be given to managing traffic flow within the extended CPZ.’

The petition can be found here: https://democracy.medway.gov.uk/mgconvert2pdf.aspx?id=50669