A NEW 20mph speed limit could be enforced on Union Street in a bid to reduce the number of motorists using the road as a ‘rat run’ and combat ‘unacceptable’ and ‘dangerous’ speeding.
The proposal has been made by Melksham Town Council in response to a seven day traffic survey carried out in October last year that identified 70 percent of vehicles were travelling over the current 30mph speed limit.
The survey also found that 38% of vehicles using the road were travelling over 35mph, and that a total of 19 vehicles were travelling over 45mph.
“This highlights a very serious situation, the fact that any vehicle is doing that speed [over 45mph] – even 30mph along there is an irresponsible speed to drive down there,” said cllr Colin Goodhind at the town council’s Economic Development and Planning meeting last week.
He added later in the meeting, “We have a situation here that is totally unacceptable and we can’t go on letting Union Street be used the way it is. It is so dangerous I can’t believe it has gone on as long as it has.”
If the new 20mph limit is approved by Wiltshire Council, the town council has agreed to purchase a dedicated speed indicator device for Union Street – an electronic sign that encourage drivers to slow down when driving over the speed limit.
In addition to requesting the new speed limit for Union Street, the town council will request to meet with Wiltshire Council’s highways team to discuss what else can be done to reduce the number of vehicles using the road as a shortcut.
And whilst they have been dismissed by Wiltshire Council in the past, the town council will revisit ideas such as reversing the direction of traffic on Union Street and making Union Street access only; and explore new ideas such as closing access to the car park on Union Street, making it accessible via the car park on Lowbourne; and the installation of bollards in the middle of Union Street to make it access only at both ends, with a ‘turning circle’ at the Union Street car park.
