Wednesfield Workers May Face Delays?

I originally posted this article on Facebook, and wrote a letter to the Editor at the Express and Star .It relates to he proposed changes to traffic islands and traffic flow on the Stafford Road at Fordhouses which could create additional difficulties for Wednesfield workers accessing the factories,JLR & business parks.

My argument is that making Wednesfield workers journey time longer and adding more miles per annum to their journey under current City Council proposals, is not the way forward. The Stafford Road needs to be as every bit a conduit to people from Wednesfield North and South, Heath Town and Fallings Park as it currently is for travellers from Stafford the North and from Wolverhampton central.. Turn the Stafford Road into a barrier and you will create longer journey times and resentment from residents in these area as they are forced into unwanted detours,rat running and more expensive commuting. The current plans for the Vine Island needs to go back to the drawing board.

I am pleased to see that in the Express and Star Letters (last night 28th January 2012) that the sentiment and comment I have made has some broad support. There really needs to be urgent thinking relating to the way we support the workers that are required for I54 and the new Jaguar site along with other business currently operating in this part of the city. The 'thinking' must be about the way that workers goods and services, access these important business sites. This is crucial for every one including residents living close to this new development as we all hope that the location quickly becomes a jobs magnet.

It is not good enough for planners, and highway engineers to develop access in a way that then leads to traffic management that impedes local residents and rewards those that seek jobs through long distance commuting!

We cannot have a local road network that has at its core a trunk road which then acts as a barrier to workers and potential workers from Wednesfield, and other North East City residents, and an M54 access giving a priority to the new jobs on offer. A long forced detour because the City Council have not come up with an efficent local roads network, making City residents use expensive fuel ,adding extra time to their journeys, is not the answer to Wulfrunians quest for jobs.

Neither is the disruption of 'rat-running' attractive to those that live close to the Stafford Road.

Planners and Highway engineers together with the other strategists need to come up with a better plan than they have now! I do hope that they will because the current proposals are just not good enough.