We want action on ‘dangerous junction’ (From Essex County Standard)

Really? The Coop was there for over a decade before and it was never a problem. There's a zebra crossing just up the road - Emma Day could use that next time and save herself an adrenaline overload.

Mr Hicks, I invite you to stand just behind where I am in that photo and see how long you'll last without an injury. No pavement exists there. If the Co-op was as successful as the ASDA has proven to be... it'd probably still be there and in order for my wife to cros the zebra crossing you mention.... she has to cross Church Road.... as did that lady on a mobility scooter that I saw crossing last week. Thanks. Lee.

Mr Hicks, In the decade that you mention this has always been a problem therefore it was high on the council's agenda, but the reason for this article is because it has rercently been down graded as a priority.

The “Zebra” crossing you mention does exist about 5 minute’s walk from the RR/ CR junction but is of no use for crossing Church Road at Ransom Road.
No pavement exists on the relevant part of Church Road (as well as Church Road), so in order to access the crossing, a pedestrian needs to walk in the “middle” of Church Road.

Satellite Navigation systems direct cars through Ransom Road, a residential road with no pavements and poor street lighting at the dangerous junction end.

Ransom Road is an obvious short cut to the high street for many wishing to access Tiptree’s many shops.
St Luke’s Church and Primary School are also accessible via this route.

Crossing at the two mini-roundabouts at the far end of Church Road is also NOT a safer alternative. Oncoming traffic speed can be difficult to judge when crossing Church Road as I have found out myself on several occasions as a crossing pedestrian.

No pavements exist where the two roads meet, which forces pedestrians to cross busy Church Road whilst standing in the middle of Ransom Road with almost zero visibility due to the trees adjacent to Ransom Road’s entrance.
Whilst this photo was being taken the photographer and I witnessed a lady on a mobility scooter cross busy Church Road and ended up almost in the centre of Ransom Road as traffic was entering into it.
It was too dangerous for us to ask her to pose for the camera.

Half a minute later an enormous Wilkin’s Lorry forced us to step back from the Church Road kerb as it passed.

Traffic approaching pedestrians from behind at the junction, can result in a dangerous obstruction of vision for both the Pedestrian and the approaching traffic.
This is often made far more dangerous when vehicles are overtaking buses at the stop on Church Road close to the entrance of Ransom Road.

Pedestrians walking on the nearside of Ransom Road cannot be seen by vehicles turning off of Church Road as I found out when I nearly drove into two men walking along this portion of Ransom Road only last week, there was no pavement for them to walk along.

My wife and four year old son also narrowly missed being tragic victims whilst attempting to cross the junction just before Christmas and reported this to the local police, whom were sympathetic but couldn’t offer much other than to suggest lobbying local authorities.

Her fury mentioned in this article was more a case of fear, she came home shaking. She's pregnant and was escorting our 4 year old son to school as do many parents via this route.

Other routes do exist through dark muddy wooded areas and alleyways but are not alternatives for young mothers or pensioners.

With the proposed population growth of Tiptree thanks to the possible expansion of the Jam factory, an increase in heavy traffic that such an expansion would produce and the popularity of the new ASDA opposite this dangerous junction, I fear the situation will only get worse.

Two proposals for improvements have been made:
1) Two lengths of footway are added to Ransom Road near houses numbering 16 and 30 (i.e. at the Church Road/ Ransom Road junction end).

2) The width of the carriageway at this junction is reduced to reduce traffic speed and entry onto Church Road is blocked from Ransom Road.

With the no Lollipop lady in the high street now, I fear it is not a matter of if but when a major accident occurs in Tiptree high street, I have been informed that one have already recently occurred near ASDA but I cannot verify this.

Please sympathise with local residents.

Best regards.

Lee.

I’m fully aware of the road and lack of pathway as I used to walk to the Coop regularly when I lived in Tiptree – with my son – and not once did we encounter a problem.

I respect the fact that in the past you might not have been concerned about your journey through Tiptree and I am pleased that you were lucky not to have experienced any incidents having done so.

However, were you forced to walk in the middle of the road to get there as current residents are?

If so, then I can't see how you can regard walking in any road no matter how busy or how good the visibilty is as safe, especially holding the hand of a child.

I am not alone in my concern over this, a petition has been running for the last several months, it's just that I was probably the first of the signatures there upon to contact the Gazette.

I have not been organising the petition but hope my signature and this small contribution here helps to improve Road Safety in Tiptree, surely that is something no one can criticise?

With the recent (and future?) expansion of TIptree, the traffic in the high Street has definately grown.

I understand Road Side surveys are soon to be carried out to record the increase in Road use.

If nothing is done my wife and I will be forced to drive the short distance to School when our new baby arrives.

I hope the Gazette can report some good news regarding the situation soon.

Best regards.

Lee.

More info:


http://www.gazette-n
ews.co.uk/news/local
/colchester/9460062.
Road_petition_handov
er_tonight/

This issue has issue dating back many years:

http://www.gazette-n
ews.co.uk/news/local
/colchester/3670304.
Tiptree__You_just_ca
n___t_see_to_cross_t
he_street/

It would appear the junction has made the Gazette several times in the past;

http://www.gazette-n
ews.co.uk/news/local
/colchester/9132918.
Colchester_road_safe
ty_schemes_shelved/

Concerns about increase in Tiptree traffic:


http://www.gazette-n
ews.co.uk/news/local
/maldon/9443657.250_
homes_in_Tiptree_wou
ld_cause_chaos___cou
ncil/

" A letter to Colchester Council from Tolleshunt Knights Parish Council said: “Tiptree’s population in the past 50 years has increased by over 2,000 per cent with no significant development of the local road infrastructure whatsoever. "

http://www.gazette-n
ews.co.uk/news/local
/colchester/9443324.
Jam_giant_told__Buil
ding_250_homes_would
_cause_chaos_in_Tipt
ree/

You are clearly obsessed with this topic.

Nope... just a concerned father and husband that typed a few words into this website's search engine.

a few?whats it like when you really let rip.
looking at your photo clearing a few trees and bushes would be a good start.

Ha ha!

I had a little time on my hands last night with little else I was able to do.

And I cheated... the long message above was in part lifted from one of the letters I've emailed to the council regarding this, so I didn't spend hours typing it out yesterday.

Clearing the trees would be good for some of the traffic leaving RR to join CR but isn't the answer for the pedestrians.

The photographer that took the photo' was quite shocked when she realised I wasn't just another busy-body moaner complaining about nothing, she agreed that the junction was terrible.

The junction really is potentially lethal, several of my neighbours have told me they've written letters of complaint over the years to no avail.

Don't get me wrong..... I've nothing against ASDA.... I visit it regularly... I just wish there were a safer way to get there.

We love Tiptree, hopefully my ramblings here will in some small way make it an even nicer place to raise a young family.

Best wishes.

Lee.

Good luck to you and your family, Lee, I hope you get action soon. Yes it is true you have made repeated posts but they are as nothing compared to what some people post on this site. And you have something important to bang on about.

Thanks Boris.... as I said, I've got time on my hands, stuck in Sweden on a training course, missing my family and holed up in a hotel room with little to do in the evenings.

Home soon so I'll have more to keep me occupied.

Cheers!

Lee.

I sure hope that action will come on time Mr Day. Things need to be done to make our roads safe for ALL to use.
I hate it when they wait and wait for a number of lives to be lost before they do anything.

We need action NOW on our roads. Safety should go first, before wasting it on useless things like. Making Colchester a city, which is and never will be.

Thanks for your support.

My wife and I witnessed a car towing a Caravan into Tiptree High Street from Ransom Road a couple of days ago.

Every car has to slowly edge out into potentially oncoming traffic in order to use the junction from Ransom Road, towing something makes it twice as dangerous.

Seeing a large delivery Lorry trying to climb out of the Goods entrance slope of ASDA during the Snow today made me concerned for the safety of the poor driver.
I guess we're all in a similar postion at the moment, hopefully all roads will be much safer once the snow and ice has gone.

Thanks again.

Lee.