CT5 Socials
Voice for Whitstable
Traffic & Active Travel
CT5 People's Forum Traffic and Active Travel Group
Top of the agenda for our group currently are traffic congestion and speeding and the effects these are having on local road use and safety. People contacting our group also want to know about improving Active Travel such as walking, cycling and general mobility.
Traffic Congestion
Traffic congestion has been discussed for years but little has been done to produce a ‘joined up’ Highways Plan to deal with this – even with the increasing popularity of Whitstable as a visitor destination.
Speeding Traffic
Speeding traffic is now causing increasing problems. Partly this is due to Kent County Council (KCC) and Canterbury City Council (CCC) having different responsibilities for roads and traffic along with Kent Police’s own agenda.
Active Travel
Active Travel, reducing the number of car journeys – both for everyday and also leisure activities needs attention – with cyclists in particular needing a much higher priority over vehicles following the recently revised Highway Code.
Activities & Achievements
Shorter & longer-term strategic objectives
Speed Watch with Kent Police
As a group we set out various shorter and longer-term strategic objectives as listed below, and began working closely with local Councillors, KCC Highways, CCC and Kent Police. As at November 2022 we have acted on:
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B2205 ‘core route’ – we are still pressing KCC for a long overdue review of this increasingly congested main road through the heart of CT5 from the Long Reach Roundabout, down Borstal Hill, Whitstable High Street, through Tankerton to the Swalecliffe ‘Bends’
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Borstal Hill: we are monitoring excess speed and providing KCC with data to support speed reduction measures here – a speed indicator device will hopefully be reinstated by KCC
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ï‚·Town centre “20 zone” – we have pressed for the repainting of signs and road markings by KCC (carried out) and more anti-congestion enforcement from CCC (on-going)
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Tankerton High Street – we have proposed a Highways Improvement Plan to KCC for safer traffic management including a 20 Zone here – KCC has adopted this in principle
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Active Travel – we are exploring ways of promoting safer cycling within CT5 both for local residents and also visitors. We have put up additional cycle parking and installing signage at the harbour in collaboration with CCC. We are liaising with the Crab & Winkle Line Trust to complete the cycle / walking path to the Harbour
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Speed Watch – we are continuing with significant activity in various locations such as Borstal Hill to educate drivers; and to prove the need for changes to KCC in particular. We have provided evidence to the CCC Annual Parking Review and have also called for greater enforcement by Kent Police
Get Involved
In all of this activity we warmly welcome new group members with particular interests in improving the traffic environment of CT5.
We also particularly value the active support of our local KCC and CCC Councillors, together with that of both local and County Officers in Kent Police.
Harbour Cycle Rack