Portishead's traffic lights switch-off a shining example
The lights went live in 2005 after almost a year of work to install them, at a cost of £800,000.
From the start they were unpopular with drivers, pedestrians and neighbours.
Hold-ups started immediately, soon followed by complaints from residents in nearby residential roads that drivers were using their streets as rat-runs to avoid jams. Within a month the first serious accident had been recorded.
Protest marches against the lights brought more than 2,000 people on to the town's streets.
North Somerset Council eventually agreed to try switching them off.
The four-week trial finished last Monday and proved hugely successful – so much so that the lights are staying off while North Somerset Council considers whether to make it permanent.
Residents and councillors agreed traffic flow improved during the month without lights, and there were no accidents.
The people who fought for the switch-off now say other areas should look at turning off their traffic lights.
Portishead Town Council chairman and North Somerset councillor David Pasley was one of the residents who campaigned for five long years to have the lights switched off.
He said: "It all started when developers who were building the Marina at Portishead came up with section 106 money (which must be spent on improvements to a community as a condition of winning planning permission), and they spent £800,000 on putting in traffic lights.
"We said it was crazy: traffic was flowing freely and there weren't many accidents.
"Of course when they put them in, people would rush when they saw green, which itself was dangerous, and then you get the traffic queuing.
"We faced opposition from the highways engineers – they said 'turn them off and anything could happen'.
"They warned us we could be liable for something called corporate manslaughter, they were trying to put the fear of God into us."
The lights were switched off in mid-September, and Mr Pasley said he was as amazed as anyone that the Cabstand worked so well without them.
He is now calling for the whole of the town to become traffic light free, and suggests others should follow Portishead's example.
He said: "It works perfectly well without traffic lights
"Everybody has got to behave considerately, that's the most amazing thing.
"People are waving each other through, stopping for pedestrians.
"It has had a side effect on behaviour in the town.
"Businesses have said everyone seems more polite.
"I have said to other members of the council, you should be looking at your own towns to try the experiment.
"You have to see it to believe it.
"When we switched them off I was absolutely flabbergasted it worked so well."
Mr Pasley has thanked motorists in the town for their consideration during the trial, saying that their driving has been "a shining example to the rest of the country".
He said: "We have seen courteousness and patience to fellow motorists as well as pedestrians and cyclists; the people of our town have brought great pride and respect to Portishead."
Work will now start on drawing up a permanent scheme that will include improving road markings at the junction. Consideration will also be given to improving access and crossings for pedestrians, particularly the elderly, disabled and visually impaired.
Conservative-led North Somerset Council had pledged to re-examine the lights as part of its election manifesto in 2007 and spent £11,000 on consultants for options to improve the junction.
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