Fans in dangerous situation

[bishbashbosh]

i left my house in drakies area of town on Saturday to attend the hearts game at 14:00. I eventually got into the ground at 15:20.

 horrendous tail back from the stadium roundabout on the main A9  was the problem. no evident reason for the delay other than the traffic lights.

this resulted in hearts and the local ict supporter buses letting off their passengers at the raigmore interchange roundabout to walk to the stadium.

half way down the road they then crossed the main A9, which with the speed of cars heading south was a very dangerous thing to do.

when I eventually got to the stadium roundabout there were police and a council worker operating the traffic lights manually.

 

I have noticed that this season there is no police presence to let pedestrians going to a home game cross the A9.

this is very dangerous with young children, and older people also struggle to cross the road safely.

is this a cost cutting exercise by the club ?

 

I know the buses should not have let their passengers off before their destination but it is human nature to try to get to the game on time.

 

I feel it is only a matter of time before someone is injured crossing the A9, maybe fatally.

it has been a matter of discussion this season between both sets of supporters crossing the A9 of how dangerous and ridiculous the unattended crossing is.

 

 

 

 

 

[old caley girl]

Perhaps letting your local councillor and the police know your concerns would be apt here? Also feel folk have to heed the warnings to come early to avoid the traffic. Hearts and ICT both put out info for the away support regarding this but most in the away end seemed to arrive either just on kick off or after!

[bdu98196]

I have thought about this and the risks crossing the bridge when it was pointed out to me there is an underpass, so I think we know the council response. The next step would be to close the barrier to stop folks crossing altogether.

[old caley girl]

Where is the underpass? Didnt know there was one.

[RiG]

I don't think it's anything to do with the club and I would suggest you raise this with Transport Scotland.

[+Fraz]

That roundabout is a farce (don't get me started on the traffic lights) but with the number of vehicles arriving at the same time there's only so much they can do. Don't think it has anything to do with the club let alone them cutting costs.

I live near the IRA, left my house at 2.20 and was in my seat for 2.45 but I cycled as I can't be bothered with the traffic/parking malarkey. Plus I'm fat and need to lose weight lol.

[jonahict]

Underpass is just past the northbound laybye and you would then walk under kessock bridge.

[old caley girl]

Underpass is just past the northbound laybye and you would then walk under kessock bridge.

Thank you! You learn something new everyday...lol

[WYNESS101]

Traffic lights must be the reason why most fans leave before the end of the game.

[CaleyD]

 

Underpass is just past the northbound laybye and you would then walk under kessock bridge.

Thank you! You learn something new everyday...lol

 

 

It's not exactly an underpass, it's a path down off the bridge that takes you on to Longam Drive and you then have to go via Stadium Road.

 

[+Tree]

That roundabout is a farce (don't get me started on the traffic lights) but with the number of vehicles arriving at the same time there's only so much they can do. Don't think it has anything to do with the club let alone them cutting costs.

 

 

The issue is that the lights are optimised for normal traffic flows in which there are a small number of north travelling cars turning right.

 

Transport Scotland need to have a 'match day setting' which is enabled 11/2 hrs prior to kick-off. There will still be traffic delays but not the nonsense that happens at the moment.

[izzy]

Who is responsible for policing on match days ? Both sets of fans put themselves in a very dangerous situation yesterday.Due to the heavy volume of traffic heading for stadium and the hold up at the Kessock Bridge roundabout at traffic lights ,fans were getting out of cars ,buses etc and walking on dual carriageway also crossing carriageway risking their lives obviously afraid of missing start of game.One idiot Hearts fan was standing in middle of carriageway at one point waving a flag at an oncoming car which had to slow down or it would have hit him...I will reserve judgement on my views on that one....I am by no means pointing the finger but just wonder if club could liase with police and maybe lights could be suspended and traffic wardens keep traffic flowing till kick off. I do realise fans are responsible for their own safety but that was an accident waiting to happen and I would not like to witness same again .Hope I don't sound like Im complaining just concerned for fans safety ....they are scarce enough !!!!!

[old caley girl]

Already a thread on this somewhere. Can't see how this is the clubs fault tbh but there obviously was a major traffic problem yesterday.

[izzy]

At no point did I say it was the clubs fault ,just thought their must be some sort of communication between club and police before games Health and safety and all that !!

[old caley girl]

Sorry wasnt having a go! Just think the police and/or transport Scotland need to sort the traffic lights out. Can't remember any major problems with a 4000ish crowd before these traffic lights went up.

[izzy]

Just hope something can be done ,it was scary to watch fans all over carriageway .

[+Fraz]

 

That roundabout is a farce (don't get me started on the traffic lights) but with the number of vehicles arriving at the same time there's only so much they can do. Don't think it has anything to do with the club let alone them cutting costs.

 

 

The issue is that the lights are optimised for normal traffic flows in which there are a small number of north travelling cars turning right.

 

Transport Scotland need to have a 'match day setting' which is enabled 11/2 hrs prior to kick-off. There will still be traffic delays but not the nonsense that happens at the moment.

 

 

I don't think the lights are optimised for anything, they're utterly terrible. To say nothing for the fact that you have to turn south on the A9 when you come from Stadium Road. The 'improvements' are an utter waste of money, the lights should be switched off permanently. One of the reasons I now cycle as I mentioned before. Just have to remember not to take my water bottle though as it's not permitted of course! 

[caley100]

If the half wits of traffic Scotland had a wee bit of common sense they might have realised that there would be a far larger volume of traffic heading to town/stadium area and might have put traffic wardens

/police at the roundabout before and after the game.

Mind you this is the same bunch of clowns that think average speed cameras are going to help travel on the A9.

Edited September 1, 2013 by caley100

[bishbashbosh]

yesterday was the last time I drive to the stadium via the A9, will use alterative route from now on. I parked on seafield road yesterday as the Clydesdale bank had no spaces.

my main worry is that for as many seasons as I can remember people walking from town centre, away support also from the pubs had the police or traffic wardens stop them at the kessock bridge crossing until there was enough assembled for the traffic to be stopped to allow crossing of both carriageways.

this season, including yesterday, since the traffic lights have been installed in fact there has been no presence police or warden leaving supporters to negotiate their own way across the bridge. the speed cars come round that corner someone is going to be fatally injured.

hope this is not cost cutting in any way by the club, police or whoever pays to have the area manned.

[bishbashbosh]

yesterday was the last time I drive to the stadium via the A9, will use alterative route from now on. I parked on seafield road yesterday as the Clydesdale bank had no spaces.

my main worry is that for as many seasons as I can remember people walking from town centre direction, away support also from the pubs had the police or traffic wardens stop them at the kessock bridge crossing until there was enough assembled for the traffic to be stopped to allow crossing of both carriageways.

this season, including yesterday, since the traffic lights have been installed in fact there has been no presence police or warden leaving supporters to negotiate their own way across the bridge. the speed cars come round that corner someone is going to be fatally injured.

hope this is not cost cutting in any way by the club, police or whoever pays to have the area manned.

[Row S]

The traffic lights are the problem. There was no provision made for a crossing phase despite the fact that Transport Scotland knew that cyclists need to negotiate the roundabout. They forced cyclists using the bridge during the road works on to the east side of the bridge but then did not allow a gap in the phasing to them to cross to and from there. The cyling lobby is still pressing Transport Scotland to sort this out. Transport Scotland also failed to realise that during the football season there would be possibly 2000+ crossing the dual carriageway before and after games.

 

Yesterday we again witnessed a Bear employee controlling the lights to attempt to change the traffic flows and let pedestrians cross before the game. However, he was getting abuse from drivers in the queues. No police or traffic wardens were there. Then after the match the Bear guy was still there but then two traffic wardens appeared and took over, which was far better.

 

The traffic lights are mainly designed to handle the rush hour traffic during the week. The traffic flow at weekends and later in an evening is quite different and does not justify keeping them switched on. I say switch them off until the road works on the south-bound carriageway of the bridge commence next February but also switch them off on match days and use wardens. Otherwise we will see pedestrian and cycle casualties.   

Edited September 1, 2013 by Row S

[izzy]

When I eventually arrived at the stadium there was three Policemmen standing in front of stadium having a chinwag could at least one of them not have been at roundabout.There were other Police around about as well and I have never seen any trouble there before game .they need to start distributing them to essential points .The stewarding at stadium appears to be sorted out so now its the turn of the Police .

[+DoofersDad]

 

That roundabout is a farce (don't get me started on the traffic lights) but with the number of vehicles arriving at the same time there's only so much they can do. Don't think it has anything to do with the club let alone them cutting costs.

 

 

The issue is that the lights are optimised for normal traffic flows in which there are a small number of north travelling cars turning right.

 

Transport Scotland need to have a 'match day setting' which is enabled 11/2 hrs prior to kick-off. There will still be traffic delays but not the nonsense that happens at the moment.

 

But it doesn't work during normal peak times.  Living North of the bridge I head towards the bridge after work and there are nearly always sufficient vehicles stuck at the red light for turning right onto stadium road that cars in the right hand lane and heading north are blocked.  Many try to edge round the stationary vehicles and risk being hit bt those in the left hand lane.

 

To be fair, I think the long periods the lights give at green do allow better traffic flow overall but it is at the expense of some dangerous situations developing.  It is also very frustrating sitting at red lights at times of low volume traffic when there is absolutely no traffic going through the green lights.

 

I'm afraid the council has an unhealthy obsession with traffic lights.  There are now so many in Nairn you can see them from space.

[merchandiseman41]

I noticed a bus outside on the A9 that didnt move for nearly 20 mins going towards the roundabout.

I just thought there might have been an accident until the missus pointed out we had sat at the traffic lights coming the other way for 10 mins on our way into the ground.

[CaleyD]

Never understood the need to stop traffic turning left....let it flow and just have traffic exiting the roundabout do so into the right lane.

 

Do that at all 4 entry/exit points on the roundabout and you don't need any lights at all, IMO.