It has cost taxpayers a staggering £1.7m, has 250 signs and has caused confusion along one of the Black Country’s busiest roads. Now Wolverhampton’s Stafford Road red route is changing yet again.
Workmen were today on the A449 dual carriageway swapping signs, removing parking bays and repainting the road. The move follows complaints from drivers that the current signs, which detail parking restrictions, are too big and are cluttering the seven-mile stretch.
The red route, a near total ban aimed at keeping traffic moving, sparked uproar among residents and businesses when it was introduced in March last year.
Oxley businesses complained that it was decimating passing trade, while residents said that the signs were an eyesore.
Transport chiefs are now spending thousands of pounds replacing more than 100 parking bays with a single red line to provide a better guide for drivers if they want to park up.
The signs are also being downscaled and rewritten to allow motorists to park in designated bays between 10am and 4pm, rather than just for the current two hours. Much of the work is taking place in Oxley, by the turning for McLean Road.
Resident Christie Purcell, aged 69, said today: “There wasn’t a problem with the Stafford Road in the first place and we couldn’t see a need for it. It was pointless.”
Fellow resident Vittorio Lambardi, aged 75, added: “This road used to get really busy so I can see why the red route was created, but it has been confusing and I can’t understand the signs”
Lin Lewis, aged 47, added: “The red route stops people blocking my drive but there are too many signs.”
Regeneration boss Councillor Peter Bilson said: “My view is the red route has been a success and there is far less congestion. It’s a much safer route now.
“The latest work is a response to concerns people have had about the signs – it’s a tidying up exercise that will reduce clutter and see the parking restrictions relaxed,” he added.
The scheme is up for review next month.
9 Comments
there wasn’t a problem with the A449 in the first place? how about it being reduced to a single lane for the majority of the distance through Oxley by ignorant and lazy people parking on double yellow lines? i do agree this “red route” nonsense should never have been started, it just needed zero tolerance enforcement of double yellow lines from the City centre all the way out to the M54. and if the traders complain it stops passing trade, maybe they should give have thought about that before setting up shop without their own customer parking.
There was never any need for it.
And why take the pull in bays for the buses away? Its more dangerous for them to stop on the main road and force other drivers to stop.
Another disgraceful decision from our loony council.
if it aint broke
FIX IT!!!!
Why create a red route to stop people parking on the road, and then add parking bays for people to park in on the red route?
Its plain STUPID.
A red route should mean no stopping and parking at all. Not no stopping and parking except during these hours!
Well its only taxpayers money, so lets spend spend spend we can put up council tax to cover it
Wait until elections come we then can pay these wastrels back
I agree with Rob’s comments. The problem with the 449 has always bee the area around the Three Tuns island where cars just ignored the yellow signs and parked ILLEGALLY thus turning the road into single carriageway. This is STILL happening now so put some of the traffic wardens, who seem to be round every corner in the city centre, to police the area during busy periods. Anyone found parked on the road in that area should be moved on and fined. Interestingly when the red route was first opened there were wardens and the flow of traffic was greatly improved. However you now never see wardens and the problem has returned as bad as before.
WELL WELL WELL the council giveth the council taketh away
Try missing your council tax see how fast they respond then
Councillor and officials should have to pass an IQ test. This is a laughing stock at our expense. They should pay to fix this.
I AGREE TOTALLY WITH ROBS COMMENT, IT IS A VERY BUSY ROAD INTO TOWN INBETWEEN RUSH HOURS AND WITH BUSES STOPING AND STARTING IT GETS ANNOYING, ALSO ROUND THE ISLANDS THEY SHOULD HAVE THE ANTI SKID SURFACES, IN STEAD OF WAISTING THE MONEY SPEND IT USEFULLY ON PARTS THAT NEED IT OR LOWER THE COUNCIL TAX.