Eastwood Avenue’s circle of concern
The objective of the project was, however, never that the circle would act as a traffic-calming measure (like a mini circle), but rather as an accessibility measure for Eastwood Road vehicles to enter into Scott Avenue.
Randpark Ridge residents continue to worry about the potential dangers posed by a recently constructed traffic circle on Eastwood Avenue.
Concerned resident Steven Schild takes a regular walk down the road and has seen many close calls.
“Traffic heading towards Honeydew is slowed down by the circle, but on the other side of the road heading towards Trinityhouse, people speed through without having to slow down at all,” said Schild.
The Randburg Sun originally reported on the circle’s construction and residents’ concerns on 6 March.
“Now that the traffic circle’s construction has been completed, it is clear to see that this is an accident waiting to happen for both vehicles and pedestrians, especially when the traffic picks up when the lockdown is eased,” he continued.
At the time of that publication, the Johannesburg Roads Agency’s Esther Schmidt responded to Schild’s complaint with feedback from the site’s main contractor.
“The objective of the project was, however, never that the circle would act as a traffic-calming measure (like a mini circle), but rather as an accessibility measure for Eastwood Road vehicles to enter into Scott Avenue,” the developer said.
Schild argued that while no major incidents have occurred as of yet, the lack of effectiveness of safety measures is alarming.
He also noted the various points of the intersection where pedestrian crossings have been put up.
“There are no proper markings on the ground, and the speed at which people travel through the circle does not allow them to slow down at all for pedestrians crossing. You have to be very alert when crossing the road, and if you are elderly or disabled, this could result in tragedy.”
Schild said that fellow residents in the many nearby housing complexes have reported the issue with the Johannesburg Roads Agency.
“We really hope that the circle can either be made a lot bigger and/or have more traffic calming measures like speed humps and improved signage put into place,” he concluded.
The Randburg Sun has contacted the JRA and is awaiting their response.
