It is a year since the SAM sign was first installed on Sunningdale at the beginning of August 2021 and we now have twelve months of data on vehicle numbers and speeds around Eaton. The sign is moved every four weeks by Eaton volunteers and the data is shared with our local Councillors, County Hall and our Neighbourhood Policing Team. A summary of the data is posted on the EVRA website at: Eaton Speed Awareness Monitor (SAM) – Eaton Village Residents’ Association
The comparison table at: Eaton Speed Awareness Monitor (SAM) – Eaton Village Residents’ Association shows that the overall average speed for all vehicles is just over 20mph but that 85% of vehicles are exceeding 25mph in most areas in the 20mph Zone. The speeds recorded on the section of Church Lane between Greenways and Marston Lane are higher than recorded on other roads. The sign regularly records vehicles travelling between 45mph and 50mph on all our roads. On 5 April 2022 one vehicle was recorded at 65mph and another at 85mph in the same 5 minute time slot on Church Lane near to the Church Hall! A vehicle travelling from the direction of Marston Lane was recorded at 65mph on Church Lane in November 2021.
The higher vehicle speeds on Church Lane, particularly on the 270-metre-long section between Greenways and the Eaton Street Junction, remain a concern. For over two years EVRA and our Councillors have been pressing Highways at County Hall to install a raised table along this section to slow vehicles and help pedestrians cross the road safely between bus stops by the Church Hall and Waitrose but we are still waiting for County Hall to even agree to this.
Traffic flows around Eaton Village show that significantly more vehicles than there are households use our roads – see Eaton-Traffic-Flows.pdf (eatonvillage.co.uk) During school term time some 200 extra vehicles head to Eaton Primary along Church Lane and Greenways and return twice a day. That amounts to around 800 vehicle movements on those roads in addition to residents cars and other vehicles.
The SAM sign was located on Judges Walk during July and during the fourth week there was a substantial reduction in vehicle counts when Judges Walk was closed at its junction with Newmarket Road because of roadworks. Daily vehicle counts dropped from 900+ to around 150 per day which shows how much other traffic use this as a shortcut!
Chris Stebbing – EVRA Chair
Email: evra.vc@live.co.uk