Fife Council’s North East Fife Area Committee has approved the Area Transportation Work Programme for 2019/20, which encompasses a £2.6m package of carriageway, footway, street lighting, traffic management and road safety, structural and cycleway works. The package includes £26,000 for speed reduction measures on Buchanan Gardens and Strathkinness Low Road.
St Andrews Scottish Labour councillor, Brian Thomson, said: “I’ve been looking for speed reduction measures to be introduced for some time, and it wasn’t progressed last year as the plans for the new Madras College were still being developed, and it was felt best to hold on until those plans were finalised.
Such measures are desperately needed as, despite speed-activated ‘Slow Down’ signs being located in Buchanan Gardens, many drivers continue to travel along the road at speeds well in excess of the 30mph speed limit. Being a long straight, some drivers appear to be of the mindset that they can drive at speeds that are a danger to pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers. With the University’s David Russell Apartments and Lawhead Primary School in the locality, and a main pedestrian and cycle access to the new Madras College to be on Buchanan Gardens, it’s essential that something is done to tackle this issue.
No specific measures have been put forward yet – for example speed humps, build-outs, or the like – but I fully support the principle of traffic calming in the street, and welcome confirmation that a scheme is to be taken forward. I understand that a previous proposal to introduce traffic calming wasn’t pursued after some negative feedback but, as happened with proposals that were implemented in Hepburn Gardens , it will be important to run the proposed scheme past the St Andrews Community Council and local groups, and I hope that it will be possible for a scheme to be designed that can take on board comments and gain general support.”
