Portishead could become traffic light-free zone

Portishead could become a traffic light-free zone if proposals to turn off all the signals in the town get the go-ahead.

Councillors in the town have asked highways officers to investigate the possibility of turning off the traffic lights at Wyndham Way following on from the success of the switch-off of the signals at the controversial Cabstand junction.

A four-week trial to turn off the lights ended this week and has been hailed as a huge success, with traffic in the town flowing freely and no accidents.

The lights were installed in 2004 at a cost of £800,000 and have been a bone of contention with residents ever since.

Motorists said they caused unnecessary hold-ups in the town centre, with drivers often waiting several minutes for the lights to change – causing large traffic queues to build up along the High Street.

Residents have twice held public marches through the town calling for the lights to be removed.

Highways chiefs will now spend the next few months investigating how to further improve

the junction by laying down priority road markings.

Councillors David Pasley, David Jolley and Reyna Knight, have written to North Somerset Council deputy leader Elfan Ap Rees asking him to consider making Portishead a traffic light-free zone.

This would include turning off the signals by the Co-op and business park on Wyndham Way and perhaps replacing them with a roundabout.

Light-controlled crossings across the town will remain in place because of pedestrian safety.

Portishead Town Council chairman David Pasley said: "We have written asking whether the lights at Wyndham Way can be turned off.

"When people drive into Portishead, especially now the Cabstand lights are off, the signals at Wyndham Way may prove to be more of a nuisance than necessary and hold people up as they come into the town.

"Obviously any switch-off of the signals would be subject to a safety audit.

"I think the way forward is to make Portishead a traffic-light-free zone, especially on the back of the success of the Cabstand trial.

"The trial proved, once and for all, that lights are not needed there and they may not be needed in other locations."

The success of the Cabstand trial has also prompted highways chiefs to look at other traffic signals in the district and proposals are currently being considered to turn off the lights on the A370 between Weston- super-Mare and Bristol to help ease congestion when the M5 gets gridlocked. Successful switch-off trials have also taken place in Sweden and London, where councils have decided to turn off signals at traffic-clogged junctions.