Consultation: Clare Road – Pendyris Street

Cardiff Council is developing proposals for improvements at the junction of Clare Road / Court Road and Pendyris Street.

According to the Council, Concerns have been raised over:

• through traffic (rat running) along Pendyris Street and Taff Mead
  Embankment;
• the operation of the Clare Road / Court Road / Pendyris Street Junction;
• pedestrian and cyclist movement and safety; and
• through passage of buses. 

The proposals consist of:

The upgrading of the existing zebra crossing to a Toucan crossing will improve access
and the safety of pedestrians and cyclists at the junctions, whilst improving traffic flow
along Clare Road.

A shared surface for pedestrians and cyclists will be provided which may
include public realm improvements, including planting, drainage, a contraflow cycle area
through the one-way system and additional cycle parking.

A one-way entry into Pendyris Street from Clare Road reduces the number of turning
movements and opportunity for through traffic to enter Pendyris Street; making the
junction operate more clearly and efficiently.

By making the junction operate more efficiently, it will help buses with their journey times along Clare Road.

The banning of the right turn from Clare Road into Pendyris Street will be reviewed as part of this
scheme.

To allow for event management, the scheme include measures to allow buses or
coaches to still turn right during events. The design shown includes an over-run area that
can be controlled and used during events.

Our Comments

The change to the junction will do a lot to prevent drivers using the Taffs Mead Embankment as a westbound short cut between Penarth and Clare Roads. Combined with the fact that many of the residential roads in the area have already been closed to through traffic, this is a real chance of creating a genuine Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN). However, there are a few things that could be done to improve the scheme:

• The junction has been designed like a slip road and will encourage eastbound drivers to take the junction at speed. To mitigate this the radius should be tightened and the pavement should be made continuous across the junction. 
• In order to justify the change from a zebra crossing, the toucan needs to be instantly responsive and give pedestrians/cyclists a green light as soon as the button is pushed. 
• The lead-in from the contraflow to the toucan crossing needs improvement and a shared use section is disappointing
• The scheme does nothing to prevent eastbound rat-running traffic, which is a huge problem. Either a solid filter or a bus gate (ANPR) should be used to prevent this, either at the junction or further down Pendyris St if access is required.

Use the comment box below to let us know what you think!

You can see the relevant documents HERE

Or you can go straight to the consultation survey HERE

You have until 31 December 2021 to respond