Saturday, February 12, 2005

Seafront - close?

Why on earth is the seafront not closed to traffic all year around?

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Posted by nick storer to swanage view at 2/12/2005 04:47:50 PM
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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why close the sea front road in Winter what purpose? What purpose would that serve other than to jam up the alterative route?
Dancing Ledge

12/2/05 6:41 pm
Anonymous said...

Sorry D. L. but children who come here in the Summer running from the sand to the Forte ice cream shop will have trouble now at half term because the road is open. I have stepped out into oncoming traffic myself in October forgetting that the road had reopened. Personally I should like to see the whole of Shore Road, Institute Road and the lower High Street to the Pier completely pedestrianised. The purpose of closing the front in the Winter would be to extend the shoulder season. Lets go for the café culture. There are lots of people here during the Winter, on sunny days, and especially at half term. The "alternative route" should be from Herston to Durlston.

13/2/05 2:38 pm
Anonymous said...

Oh Yes! the half term, completely forgot about that, A closed road in that case would be best.
Cheers.
Dancing Ledge

13/2/05 8:10 pm
Anonymous said...

I (Rowland Hughes) agree that the seafront road closures should be extended, and in the past I've suggested closure of the whole of Shore Road from Ocean Bay to the Mowlem, at least for the summer. Get rid of the cars that are not supposed to be parked there anyway and improve the route down Northbrook Road/Washpond Lane/Ulwell Road for the traffic. The reason above all is the safety aspect, secondly the enhancement of the whole seaside "experience", and more....Shore Road could then also be used by vendors with market type stalls, or temprorary shops. As well as the expected reaction from the residents of the Northbrook Road area, the Council (as usual) are the ones who need to be persuaded - and they are not persuaded - in my view wrongly so, giving ridiculous reasons - for instance that it's an "A" road. In that case why is any part of it closed at all at any time??? So the chance of closing any other roads such as Institute Rd or the Lower High Street are remote indeed, although these proposals also definitely have my support. Ways should be found to divert/re-route the traffic, with permission only for deliveries, emergency services and the like. However, with the present councillors in office, such ideas have about as much future as porcine aviation I think......unless they've drastically changed their thinking since I last discussed the issue with councillors and the police following a fatal accident on Shore Rd.

16/2/05 10:37 am
Keith Roker said...

I have never understood why we have a road along the seafront to begin with. The beach and this are the towns prime assett - our shop window in many respects but we use it for transport. Why not have some nice big gas pipes as well. At least Swanage does not have a railway line along the beach like some parts of Devon.

A decade or so ago DCC were hoping a developer would buy the Grammar School site and as part of the deal improve the top of Northbrook Rd and Washpond Lane so there would not be a sharp bend. The traffic could then be sent this way. It would have the merit of bringing the traffic coming in from the ferry straight to the main car park in Victoria Avenue. Not much sign of it happening though.

Perhaps the first step to getting cars off Shore Road would be a barrier across it so it remained open for disabled parking along part of its length but had no through traffic. The other solution is to make all the roads one way - going out - then there will be absolutely no congestion in the town centre!

18/2/05 2:40 pm

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