Jacqueline Valvona

Dear Ms Sumeray

JACQUELINE VALVONA

I refer to your Regulation 28 Report dated 18th December 2018. I am aware that you also wrote to Island Roads, who are the Isle of Wight Council’s Highways PFI Service Provider and that they will respond to you separately.

Following the death of Jacqueline Valvona, Island Roads and the Police undertook a joint visit to determine whether there were any deficiencies in the highway layout which may have contributed to the accident. They found nothing which could have been considered a contributory factor to the accident.

Your report also makes reference to the comment by Police Sergeant Morgan who stated that he would support the proposition that a pedestrian controlled crossing be installed to prevent future deaths. Whilst this would reduce the likelihood of future accidents, deaths can still occur at pedestrian crossings when motorists fail to stop.

Following receipt of your report, a review of the site and the suitability of installing a controlled crossing facility was undertaken by Island Roads on behalf of the Council. The site has therefore been reviewed using the guidance contained within Local Transport Note 1/95.

The Isle of Wight Council instructed Island Roads to undertake a feasibility study and design for a pedestrian controlled crossing at this location. The process established that due to road alignment, nearby junctions and bus lay-by that the only location where a crossing could be accommodated is between the two bus stops. During the feasibility design stage Island Roads observed the area to assess the level of demand for a new pedestrian crossing, and found that pedestrian numbers were well below that where a crossing would be considered. However, the process also identified that most pedestrians crossed close to the Lakeside Hotel access road, and therefore it is probable that the proposed crossing point is unlikely to be used by able bodied persons.

Visibility at the site is good and pedestrians without any obvious mobility impairments did not have to wait long for a suitable gap to cross safely.

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At the current time the evidence held by the Council does not indicate that the site meets the criteria to consider a pedestrian controlled crossing but I am aware that the area is likely to experience seasonal variation. Therefore the Council would propose that Island Roads undertakes a further assessment in the summer to determine whether the vehicle and pedestrian numbers indicate that the site should be considered for a new crossing.

Dear Ms Sumeray

Subject: Response to Regulation 28 report regarding the death of Mrs Valvona.

Ringway Island Roads as Highway Service Provider has reviewed the contents of the Regulation 28 Notice received from the Coroner during late December 2018, in which concerns were expressed in regard to the lack of safe places to cross the A3054 at the place that the collision occurred. Having reviewed recent collision data, the volume of vehicles using the road, the number of pedestrians crossing the road at the point that the collision occurred and availability of alternative crossing facilities, the following response is provided. Crossings are provided as amenities to give access and easier movement to pedestrians. Generally, the provision of crossings should be targeted at the needs of those people who experience most difficulty and danger. The assessment therefore takes into account the number, age and mobility need of pedestrians crossing in the area. Site description The A3054 through Wootton is the main link between Newport and Ryde, carrying in the region of 17,000 vehicles per day. During peak times, the two-way flow is approximately 1,200 vehicles per hour. The location of the collision was outside the Sloop Public House at a central point between the western and eastern access points to Mill Square. The footway on the north side of the carriageway terminates at the western boundary to Wootton bridge. No through access for pedestrians is available on the north side of the carriageway, with the only continuous access between Wootton and Fishbourne on the south side of the road. The distance between Station Road and Firestone Copse Road is 1km. In this length of road there are three controlled pedestrian facilities and two pedestrian refuges. The

Ringway Island Roads Ltd Registered Office: Albion House, Springfield Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 2RW Registered in England No: 8108944 VAT Registered No. 321 9318 74

nearest controlled facility to Mill Square is 180m to the west. A pedestrian refuge is also provided approximately 170m to the east. In 2016 a traffic count was carried out approximately 150m east of the proposed crossing point. This showed 85th percentile speeds of 29mph. This indicates that most drivers comply with the 30mph speed limit. Collision history from the east of the junction with New Road and the western boundary of Wootton Bridge The last five years (1st November 2013 to 31st October 2018) of collision data has been reviewed and the collision involving Mrs Valvona was the only pedestrian collision during this period. The other collisions that have occurred involved;  One rear end shunt at temporary traffic lights  One loss of control in icy conditions  One mechanical failure (part of trailer breaking away)  One poor turn out of Mill Square in to vehicle travelling east

Action taken Following receipt of the Coroner’s report, a review of the site and the suitability of installing a controlled crossing facility, has been undertaken. The site has therefore been reviewed using the guidance contained within Local Transport Note 1/95. Island Roads have been instructed by the Isle of Wight Council to undertake a feasibility design for a controlled crossing and a concept layout has been drawn up and costed. This feasibility design process has established that due to the approach alignment, the location of junctions and the bus layby, the only location where a crossing could be accommodated is between the two bus stops. However, during the survey it was noted that most pedestrians crossed close to the Lakeside Hotel access, some 45m away from the location of any controlled crossing. The proposed crossing point would therefore not be on the pedestrian desire line and is unlikely to be used by able bodied persons. The assessment also involved undertaking a pedestrian survey to determine the demand, and difficulty crossing during peak periods. Although not the only measure of determining where a pedestrian crossing would be of benefit, PV squared is a useful calculation to compare the pedestrian/vehicle conflict at different sites. At this location, the value calculated indicated that the level of pedestrian demand is well below where a controlled pedestrian crossing would normally be considered. Adjustments can be made to take into account unaccompanied children, elderly and mobility impaired pedestrians, but this is unlikely on its own to substantiate the justification for a controlled crossing facility. During the survey undertaken on 20th January 2019, no children were observed and 4% of pedestrians had some form of mobility impairment.

Ringway Island Roads Ltd Registered Office: Albion House, Springfield Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 2RW Registered in England No: 8108944 VAT Registered No. 321 9318 74

The survey considered the difficulty crossing and observed that generally, able bodied pedestrians crossed the road in less than 6 seconds and waited less than 20 seconds for a suitable gap in which to cross. The one observed mobility impaired pedestrian took 8 seconds to cross and had to wait for 1 minute for a gap to do so. Visibility at the site is good and pedestrians without any obvious mobility impairments did not have to wait long for a suitable gap to cross safely. Whilst LTN 1/95 provides wider advice on the installation of new controlled crossing facilities, there are a number of points that appear to relate specifically to the installation of a controlled crossing at the location in question. They are;
4.2.4 - Caution should be exercised where pedestrian flows are generally light or light for long periods of the day. Drivers who become accustomed to not being stopped at the crossing may begin to ignore its existence, with dangerous consequences. The problems are accentuated as vehicle speeds increase.
5.1 - The final decision as to whether to install a crossing and the choice of option will depend on a combination of factors. Examples are: the number of accidents, delays, local representations, local interest groups, cost and relative priority with other sites.
5.2 - The use of a formal cost benefit methodology is not thought necessarily appropriate to the assessment of individual crossings. The costs of delays to road users are generally not reduced by the introduction of a pedestrian crossing. Neither can the road safety benefits be quantified with any degree of certainty and it should not be assumed that provision of a crossing will necessarily lead to a reduction in road accidents.

Action to be taken As each of the main trip generators in the area are likely to experience a significant seasonal variation, a further pedestrian survey will be undertaken in the summer months to determine the vehicle and pedestrian numbers during the peak tourist season. On receipt of the summer month peak flow data, a further assessment will be undertaken such that the suitability of a new controlled crossing and the potential for funding can be finalised.