Keswick’s new one-way system which was introduced to make a notorious bottleneck safer is instead making the road more dangerous for pedestrians and drivers, claims a local business couple.
Motorists have only been able to drive along Station Street and St John’s Street away from Penrith Road since 8th July, after special COVID powers and emergency government funding enabled Cumbria County Council to make the temporary traffic order.
The idea was to make it safer for pedestrians to maintain social distancing without stepping into the path of vehicles coming in either direction, particularly on the narrowest section on a sloping bend near The George Hotel.
However, Pauline and Geoff Brown are adamant that the change is causing more problems than it is solving and they are calling for the trial to be ditched before there is a serious accident.
“The one-way system was intended to assist traffic flow but it has actually snarled the traffic and forced it through the back streets,” said Pauline, who runs Kiddiewinks children’s clothing shop on St John’s Street.
Her husband Geoff, who runs an electrical business from the same premises which they live above, wants the one-way system to be reversed to the other direction or for it to be abandoned and two-way traffic reintroduced but with traffic-calming measures.
“I avoided cutting through the back streets and went down Derwent Street on to the Borrowdale road to get to a job and it took me 15 minutes to get out of town — that was at 4pm on a Monday not the weekend,” he said.
They live and work opposite the top of Derwent Street which they claim has become a much more dangerous place as vehicles and pedestrians come to terms with the one-way system.
“It is an absolute nightmare. There have been several near misses. It is certainly more dangerous on that corner and traffic is speeding up along Station Street and St John’s Street as they know nothing is coming the other way — or shouldn’t be,” said Pauline.
The couple have sent an email to Keswick Town Council explaining their views ahead of its online meeting on Thursday next week, in which they intend to take part.
The council is expected to make a recommendation to the county council on whether or not to make the temporary one-way system permanent.
The new system has been welcomed by many but several other businesses on St John Street, in addition to the Browns, have also expressed reservations.
The county council defended the direction of the one-way system, saying 70 per cent of traffic using the Station Street/St John’s Street went that way.
It was introduced on an initial 21-day trial period after the town council unanimously backed a campaign led by Tim Fisher, of Northern Lights gallery further along St John’s Street, for road safety changes after a series of accidents.
He wants the trial to become permanent and for protected roadside seating areas to be allowed outside cafes, shops and galleries to create a “Bohemian” quarter.
