Old Harlow resident expresses concern over rat run road
Communities / Tue 15th Nov 2022 at 03:47pm
AN OLD Harlow resident and political activist has expressed her concerns over the increasing use of Old Road as a rat-run.
YH met up with Yasmin Gregory, who told us that the use of Old Road seems to have increased following the opening of Junction 7a of the M11.
Vehicles seem to be coming off the London Road at the Coho junction, turning left and speeding towards Gilden Way.
Essex Police have attended with speed guns but we asked Ms Gregory, what more can be done.
Jennifer Steadman
2022-11-15 16:22:30
Hear hear Yasmin!! Traffic coming down Old Road going off to junction 7a use Watlington Road as a cut through trying to 'jump into the queue' coming down Mulberry Green Road. And ofcourse, traffic are still turning right from Gilden way into Mulberry Green Road, but using both lanes of Mulberry Green Road to do so. I've witnessed several near misses from vehicles making this illegal turn almost colliding with a vehicle making a legal left turn off of Gilden way!! There is still one lane of Gilden way blocked off so traffic are filtering from 2 lanes down to one then back up to two further up the carriage way!! There will be a fatality at this junction one day, mark my words & maybe then something will be done about it!! I wont hold my breath though!!
Matthew
2022-11-15 19:58:33
I understand that one unfortunate effect of not allowing vehicles to turn right from Gilden Way to Mulberry Green is that the 59 bus no longer stops by The Green Man when en route to Harlow bus station. That's a shame for the old folk living nearby. I definitely agree there seems to be a lack of consultation.
David Forman
2022-11-15 22:09:39
Representatives of the Green Party moaning about car traffic again which I suppose is better than glueing themselves to the road! Incidentally, one or two exclamation marks are sufficient so no need for 10.
Best Mate
2022-11-15 23:11:18
Old Rd is a bit busier since 7a opened but you’d hardly call it a busy road in comparison to many. There’s also a consultation regarding closing it at the railway bridge as part of the work around the planned opening up of River Way to access the A1184 which would stop it being used as a ‘rat run’ anyway.
Yasmin Gregory
2022-11-16 09:36:08
@David Forman - the Green Party is a political party. I think you may be referring to climate activists who glue themselves to the road. @Best Mate - Old Road is busier in the mornings when parents, carers and children are having to cross it. The parked cars along both sides of the road also reduce visibility. I would welcome a traffic survey of Old Road, New Road, Priory Avenue, Station Road, Mulberry Green, Gilden Way, Watlington Road and also the monitoring of the air pollution in those areas. Current levels are 3 times higher than recommended by the World Health Organisation in some of these roads. www.addresspollution.org is a site with air quality data provided by Imperial College that gives more information.
Jennifer Steadman
2022-11-16 10:05:30
@David Foreman- crikey, please don't try to compare us to the Insulation & stop oil activists- we have no affiliation with them whatsoever! We have never & would never take such drastic actions to make a point. Perhaps you'd like to come to one of our open meetings so you can see how we work? I'd be happy to email you an invite.
Jennifer Steadman
2022-11-16 10:18:31
Infact- I would like to extend the open invite to one of our Green Party meetings to anybody who is interested or just curious about what we do and who we are. Please look out for posts on our Facebook page. Everyone is welcome.
Sarah
2022-11-16 11:14:27
In a 4 minute interview, 8 cars passed by at normal speed… hardly the speeding rat run as described! Many roads around Harlow have huge volumes of traffic, and the answer is not block the road off with no entry barriers as submitted for planning at the railway bridge on Old Road! So with that in mind, this proposed absolutely unfounded with zero traffic monitoring investigations and evidence no entry barrier proposal system will force all traffic up Hart Road to only then left at the next roundabout back into old Harlow and up towards Fawbert & Barnard Primary School… so surely you’re just shifting the problem along because basically you don’t like the new M11 Junction!
Jessica
2022-11-16 11:37:45
Surely Yasmin must be aware of the proposals to close the railway bridge in Old Road? Although it seems there was no mail drop to roads such as The Hoo, Wheatfields or The Crescent which will all be directly affected by this change so maybe not? Who came up with the idea of protecting our residents walking to school by diverting all traffic via Old Harlow town and so via F&B primary school, (which also gets busy with students from Mark Hall)? Next people will be moaning that the small town and the gates roundabout is too busy. Have other traffic calming measures been considered?
Vicky
2022-11-17 12:19:21
I am totally unaware of the proposed closures to the railway bridge and I live in Guilfords. I must admit, I have not noticed a vast increase to the use of Old Road, however, working 12hr shifts, I am probably using it much earlier and then much later than most. The main issue with London Road is actually the flooding, which occurs regularly between Guilfords and The Hoo.
Molly
2022-11-17 23:04:32
I am a resident of the Hoo and myself and all of the neighbors I have spoken to about this have not recieved any written notice about such proposed plans to the barriers on the bridge being placed. My Question is simple...why was we not informed? It affects us directly not the people enforcing this rediculous idea! As a pedestrian/dog walker and a parent, I use this route on a daily basis by car and foot and do not see how anyone can come to the conclusion of just blocking the road off. The road is not being overrun by vehicles passing through, even during peak hours and surely not enough so to be reaching these drastic plans that will affect no one else other than the residents who rely on this route. Surely, traffic monitoring measurements need to be had first before doing anything to actually ensure it is the correct thing to do, but even then, not totally block it off to residents and perhaps put something into place for local residents. I can agree that the only time I have seen these roads backed up has been where major roadworks have been carried out on London road and Harlow road leading towards Gates roundabout and traffic has been forced into our direction but certainly nothing to do with the new m11 junction. If anything that junction has caused major traffic problems around the Mark Hall area. As someone else pointed out already in these comments, during that 4 minute interview I only saw about 6 cars passing by, this road that I walk along daily is not being excessively used NO WAY! The M11 junction has absolutely no link to the so-called traffic increase along this road, there is a much more direct route for people to use even during busier peak traffic times.
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