Traffic lights and pedestrian crossings in Nantwich are to be upgraded in a bid to improve safety for users.
Cheshire East Council is to introduce new LED signals which are brighter, more visible and last longer.
All 117 traffic signal junctions and 32 pedestrian crossings in the borough will be replaced under the £650,000 scheme.
It’s hoped the upgrade will improve safety, reduce accidents and increase reliability by reducing the risk of signals failing.
It will also save £75,000 a year on running costs and maintenance, the council said.
Clusters of several dozen small, energy-efficient LEDs will replace single-filament bulbs.
LEDs should last between seven and 10 years.
Cllr Rod Menlove, cabinet member in charge of highways services, said: “Safer roads are a significant goal for the council.
“This innovative use of technology will help deliver a far superior, safer, greener and more reliable service for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
“It will also cost local taxpayers less to run and maintain, using LEDs will cut CO2 emissions by 252 tonnes a year.”
Upgrades will start this week and will take place outside of peak traffic hours, but some delays at signal-controlled junctions will be unavoidable. It should be completed by the end of 2012.
The LED scheme could also be extended to street lights on major junctions and roundabouts.
If the council are to spend money on borough traffic lights ,they ought to get their priorities in order first ,there is a desperate need for a car park at Stapeley Broad lane School along with a simple traffic light system on broad lane either side of the school that would that control and manage traffic at the two peak times of traffic flow at moning drop off and afternoon pick up would make a huge difference to a lot of people’s but more importantly it woul ensure that children’s lives are not constantly being put at risk.
Assuming the costings and benefits aren’t “creative accounting” (though I’m not 100% convinced) I can see how what is essentially just a £650K light bulb change might have been justified.
Personally, though, I’d rather have seen the money spent on improved on-street parking to prevent huge areas of the town being choked-up by the illegal double parking that reduces many main roads to single tracks, reducing visibility for pedestrians and drivers, as well as clogging and damaging pavements with cars. This is plain throughout the town, but is completely ignored by both councillors and by the police.