Rushden: town of paint and posts
Not everyone is happy about the new voluntary diversion scheme for southbound traffic at Rushden. The new collection of signs for motorists has caused many people to comment on the way the town’s streets are becoming littered with notices.

Many times strangers have spoken of the great number of notices to be seen. Local people, used to seeing the signs day by day, have not been aware of just how densely signposted their town has become. Now it is difficult not to notice.

How many signs are there in the whole of Rushden? There must be hundreds scattered about the streets. The exact number would stagger most people if known.

Check-Up
To get some facts, on this much discussed matter, a reporter walked along the main A6 route, observing and counting the notices on the road and near to it.

The first check was made on the direct route, from Toll Bar, at the border with Higham Ferrers, along Higham Road, High Street, High Street South and Bedford Road to the end of the built-up area.

Then checks were made along the new voluntary diversion route for southbound traffic (Station Approach, Rectory Road and Newton Road) and along the northbound traffic voluntary diversion route (Wellingborough Road and Washbrook Road).

A count-up at the end of these investigations showed that there are one hundred and forty varied signs for the motorist. This does not include the traffic lights near St. Mary’s Church, nor does it include the two zebra crossings in High Street or the zebra crossing in Wellingborough Road.

Seemingly Endless
Driving through Rushden, the motorist sees a seemingly endless stream of signs, denoting directions, car parks, public conveniences, low bridge, halt, slow, school, “road narrows,” “do not spit,” no right turn, no entry, no heavy vehicles, keep left – and, inevitably, NO WAITING.

The no-waiting signs easily outnumber the other types. Their presence in dozens upsets many out-of-town drivers and causes frustration for even more local people who want to leave their cars for only a few minutes in order to make a brief call at a shop. Six of these signs went up in Rectory Road last week, to reinforce the five already standing there.

The Yellow Line
As a Ministry of Transport experiment, a four-inches wide yellow line is to be painted down the one side of Rectory Road where waiting is prohibited, but the signs will remain.

This experiment is said to have been very successful at Slough, where it was first tried out, but for local people it will be just one more thing in the planning which is making Rushden a town of paint and posts.

One-way streets proposed
An extension of the one-way traffic plan recently put forward by Rushden Urban Council was suggested at a meeting of Higham Ferrers and Rushden Road Safety Committee on Monday. [see also Council meeting Nov 1958]

Sent in by Mr. W. J. A. Peck, who could not attend the meeting, the proposal was to use Church Street, Church Parade and Skinner’s Hill for a trial period as one-way streets, with a right-hand rotation of traffic.

The idea will be passed on the Rushden UDC whosehandling of the main traffic scheme was the subject of a further message from Mr. Peck.

He said he was surprised that the council had not asked the committee for its views. Mrs. W. M. Lean, the road safety chairman, said she attended the Highways Committee meeting at which the scheme was devised, in two capacities – as a highways member and as the Road Safety Committee chairman.

Members were told that the scheme would probably be referred to them for their observations after going through other channels, and Mr. F. C. Astle said he did not think the committee had been slighted.

County Team
News that the safe cycling team from Rushden Secondary Modern Girls’ School had now been recognised as the county team was received with pleasure. Mention was made of the leadership given by Janice Lawman, who attended Monday’s meeting as a representative of the Junior Accident Prevention Committee.

Mr. H. Valvona, who coaches the team as County Road Safety Officer, said the displays given were the best form of propaganda.

An analysis of accidents was received from Mr. Peck, who observed that the incidence of accidents to cyclists and pedal cyclists increased during the summer months. In the same period the proportion of local people involved dropped from 80 per cent to 60 per cent.

The secretary (Mr. A. G. Crowdy) told members that reconstruction of the Oakley crossroads was not allowed for in this year’s County Council estimates, but would be considered in connection with next year’s estimates.