Carnwath is a small community with a population of just over 1,400 people. It is set in the rural area of Clydesdale in South Lanarkshire, almost equidistant between Edinburgh and Glasgow and less than 10 miles from the Scottish Borders. To the east the village is near the beginning of the Pentland Hills and to the south it has a clear view of Tinto with the Southern Uplands behind. Because of its geography, Carnwath is dissected by the A721 running east to west, the A70 Lang Whang (Long Way in old Scots) starts at the north side of the village and the B7016 heads to Biggar from the south. It is a popular commuter route for everyone driving from the west to Edinburgh, Peebles and the Borders.
While the morning and evening rush hours may be easy enough to contend with, the roads are also extremely popular with the large number of heavy lorries transporting goods around the country. Most often seen driving through the middle of the village are the lorries transporting sand and gravel from the quarries which operate from a number of sites in the area. The popularity of the routes through Carnwath results in a constant traffic flow from very early in the morning to late into the night. For many years the local residents had complained about the number, size and speed of vehicles, which measures such as traffic lights in the middle of the village and a mini roundabout at the start of the Lang Whang, had not been able to control satisfactorily.
The opportunity to apply for a grant from the Aggregates Levy was seen as an ideal chance to try a traffic calming measure which would make drivers more aware of their speeds and which, because of financial constraints, the local authority, South Lanarkshire Council, was not able to put into action. Carnwath 2000, the group which was set up by the community to work for the regeneration of the village, was keen to see interactive road signs (flashing 30mph signs) erected at all four entrances to the village. The Project Manager for Carnwath 2000, Fiona Pearson, approached officials from South Lanarkshire's Roads and Transportation services with a proposal that would see Carnwath 2000 and the local authority work in partnership. A survey was carried out by the local authority to determine the level of speeding traffic and, while the figures were not considered dangerously high, they were over a Scottish Executive limit which would not rule out the traffic signs being erected.
Temporary, battery operated signs were used by the council in areas with a perceived speeding problem but such was their use that, while fully charged on a Friday, the battery could be dead four or five days later. In addition, this form of operation was considered too labour intensive for a permanent fixture. The council officials identified a company, which already supplied it with interactive road signs elsewhere in the authority, and it was decided that this would be the preferred option, as the council, which would then be dealing with only one company, would maintain the signs. The council also agreed to arrange all the necessary work in terms of laying cables (the units were to be trickle charged from the lighting system), erecting poles for the units and securing the units when they arrived. The cost of this work, along with the cost of the units, was to be charged to Carnwath 2000 as part of the Aggregates Levy grant, should the application be successful.
Having successfully secured the grant, the units were ordered and subsequently erected. After the units were in operation for a few weeks the response in the community was positive. Already it was noticeable how many drivers were braking before they came into the village and, while the signs will not discourage persistent speeders, who will slow down for nothing, it does appear to be curtailing the speed of the majority. And, while more difficult to quantify, public perception is that the traffic is coming into the village at a slower speed.
However, the usefulness of the units does not end there. 'On-board' computers set into each unit record the speed of traffic and, when downloaded by them, give accurate information to the roads department about the speeds and vehicle levels moving through the village.
Contact
Carnwath 2000
118 Main Street
Carnwath
Lanarkshire
ML11 8HR
Telephone: 01555 841099
Email: carnwath2000@btopenworld.com
www.carnwath2000.org.uk