This is our third blog sharing local media stories about people killed or injured in road traffic collisions in Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2021 there have been two fatalities and over seventy serious injuries on Newcastle's roads.
Serious injury and death on the roads is not inevitable. To a large extent, injuries from road traffic collisions are the result of political choices that have prioritised saving a few seconds on a journey over people's wellbeing and safety. When we see articles praising Read more [...] Traffic Crash Injury 2021
Leave a Reply
This is our third blog sharing local media stories about people killed or injured in road traffic collisions in Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2021 there have been two fatalities and over seventy serious injuries on Newcastle's roads.
Serious injury and death on the roads is not inevitable. To a large extent, injuries from road traffic collisions are the result of political choices that have prioritised saving a few seconds on a journey over people's wellbeing and safety. When we see articles praising Read more [...] 
Traffic engineering is frequently a compromise between vehicle speeds and people's safety. Higher speed limits and multi-lane junctions allow traffic to pass more quickly but, when collisions happen, people are more likely to be hurt and their injuries are likely to be worse.
Many of us will be aware of Layton Darwood (age 5), Melissa Tate (age 10), George ‘Geordie’ Bilclough, Emma Guilbert, Ann and Lawrence Nickerson, and many others who have been killed in recent years in Newcastle 
Six months ago, Newcastle City Council changed the road layout on five bridges so that they could only be used by people walking, in wheelchairs, or on bikes/scooters. The Council's aim in doing so was to achieve safer residential streets by reducing motor vehicles speeding and to remove ‘through traffic’ from residential areas. 
From November 2020 to January 2021 Transport North East held a consultation on their draft transport plan for the North East up to 2035. This is the SPACE for Gosforth response.
We looked at the plan’s vision and objectives, and we looked at the schemes proposed. The vision talks about carbon reduction, health, reducing inequalities, safer streets and sustainable travel. The schemes include link roads, corridor improvements, capacity upgrades, addressing vehicle pinch points, dual carriageways 
In 2020 two people were killed and over fifty seriously injured on Newcastle's roads alone. These are not 'statistics', they were mums, dads, children, friends and neighbours. Four of those serious injuries were on or near Gosforth High Street. Almost two thirds of those seriously injured were classified in official reports as being pedestrians or cyclists.
Although the vast majority of incidents are still not reported in the media, other than to warn of potential delays, thanks to local press 
The Government is reviewing The Highway Code, in particular "to improve safety for pedestrians, particularly children, older adults and disabled people, cyclists and horse riders."
As part of this review, between July and October 2020, the Department for Transport asked for views on proposed changes "on overtaking, passing distances, cyclist and pedestrian priority at junctions, opening vehicle doors and responsibility of road users." This blog sets out SPACE for Gosforth's response to 
Newcastle City Council has now confirmed that legal orders to close local bridges to vehicle traffic will be in place by Thursday 13 August. This is to prevent "inappropriate levels of traffic for small structures, using the bridges as a shortcut through residential streets."
As with any traffic-related changes these proposals have generated a lot of debate in Gosforth. To help ensure this debate is an informed one we published a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Enabling Safe Walking and 
Newcastle City Council has announced plans, as part of its Covid-19 response, to close five local bridges to through traffic, so they can be used in safety by people who don't currently feel comfortable walking or cycling because of the volume of traffic. 
In December 2015, responding to the Council's initial consultation, we said "Currently this is a busy dual carriageway with frequent busses and fast-moving traffic: it is hard for pedestrians to cross and is largely unsuited to all but the bravest of cyclists." Now crossing is easier and local residents can cycle safely in relative comfort along this stretch of road, and it is now one of the few places in Newcastle where it is possible to cycle safely along a main road. 
Newcastle City Council have proposed that Blackett Street and parts of New Bridge Street are made into a pedestrian area linking Northumberland Street, Monument and Old Eldon Square. This blog is our response to the Council's consultation.