First steps for revolutionary road plan (From Bucks Free Press)

First steps for revolutionary road plan

9:40pm Tuesday 28th October 2008 in News By James Nadal

A PROPOSAL to scrap traffic signs in a radical experiment to shake up Marlow’s roads is being seriously discussed by Buckinghamshire County Councillors, it was revealed tonight.

Roger Wilson, Marlow Town councillor and the Chairman of Wycombe District Council, first proposed the idea at a meeting in September.

He said tonight at a Marlow Town council meeting that early discussions had been held with county transport supreme cllr Val Letheren, who backs the scheme and unnecessary signs in Pound Lane and High Street could be the first to go.

He said: “The meeting was very positive. They were very pro trying to minimise them and very much in favour of the idea.

“What we agreed would be that we would initially look at the High Street and Pound Lane.

"We said what we do in particular is that the mayor (Neil Marshall) and myself would walk around the area ourselves and look at which signs we want to get rid of.

"Then their advisors would come in and review it.”

The idea has been trialled in Kensington High Street in London and Bohmte, a town in Germany.

Cllr Wilson was inspired to propose the scheme after reading the research of author Tom Vanderbilt in his book: 'Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do'.

Mr Vanderbilt's work was influenced by late Dutch traffic engineer Hans Monderman, who believed that most road signs were unnecessary and redesigned a town based on his ideas.

Cllr Wilson said: “Just looking at the two mini roundabouts approaching Pound Lane there‘s a pole in between them telling you there’s a roundabout there.

"It’s idiocy like that that needs to be reviewed.

“I think what it really does, when you think about it, is that it makes more people aware so they become more conscious of their surroundings.

"They’ll take more notice of pedestrians and other cars. It’s making people think for themselves.”

He added: “The more I think about it the more I think it could be a success.”