One-way scheme for Queen’s Gardens agreed

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At its meeting in Cupar today, the North East Fife Area Committee set aside objections to a one-way scheme in Queen’s Gardens on the advice of Fife Council Transport Management’s report [1], approving the scheme in which traffic will flow one-way from Queen’s Terrace to South St and cycling permitted in both directions with a marked contraflow cycle-way.

This follows two years of preparation, with residents in Queen’s Gardens working with the Council’s Traffic Management and with the support of Councillor Brian Thomson. Residents have been concerned about Queen’s Gardens being used as a rat-run with increasing volumes of traffic and associated noise, air pollution and threat to safety. With cars parked on both sides of the street it is now too narrow for two-way traffic with daily traffic snarl-ups and damage to wing mirrors and paintwork.

Residents of Queen’s Gardens proposed the direction Queen’s Terrace to South St because repeat traffic surveys have demonstrated that twice as much traffic flow in the direction South St to Queen’s Terrace (N to S) compared to the reverse direction, so blocking N to S would have the greatest impact.

A consultation held in 2017 demonstrated strong support for the proposal, with 75% of those responding being in favour. Amongst those supporting the scheme were residents of Queen’s Gardens, Queen’s Terrace and Westview, the Environmental Representative for St Regulus Hall, the University’s sustainable transport group ‘Transition University of St Andrews’, and the campaigning group ‘St Andrews Space for Cycling’. There were a number of objections [2] including the Community Council and several from residents in Westburn Lane who were concerned about the possibility that Westburn Lane could become a North to South rat-run.

No time scale for implementation of the scheme has yet been given but it is unlikely that it will take place before the new financial year.

Follow the link below for the full report [1] pages 25 to 32, and objections [2] pages 26-31

https://www.fifedirect.org.uk/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=committee.event&evntid=323B0315-021D-B7BE-0E37BA15880AF31B

St Andrews QV (Qui Vive) is an independent not-for-profit, non-political platform for news and debates about issues that are important to the Town. It exists to hold decision makers and public services to account while its editorial policy is to accommodate all shades of opinion from all parts of the community, prioritising evidence-based arguments. St Andrews QV is a member of the Independent Community News Network and is committed to the Community Journalism Charter

4 comments

  1. The Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council did not object in principle to making Queen’s Gardens one-way; it did – and still does – consider that traffic should be taken off South Street rather than brought on to it…

    Callum MacLeod
    Community Councillor
    Chairman
    The Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council

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      1. The term “objection” is a necessary evil… Fife Council and the St Andrews Fife Councillors were fully aware of the subtleties of the Community Council’s precise view…

        Are we permitted the courtesy of knowing the identities of the QV writers please?

        Thank you,

        Callum MacLeod
        Community Councillor
        Chairman
        The Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council

        1. StAQV welcomes letters and articles and publishes them, anonymously or signed, provided they are relevant to the local community, accurate and not abusive. A FAQ/About page is in the process of being constructed.

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