Pedestrianisation 4
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Alongside all this filling in has been the steady pedestrianisation of the rest of the city centre. Usually this means means no cars but buses and taxis have access, traffic lights are removed and cobbles replace what were reasonably level surfaces. It sound good, doesn't it? I'm afraid for most people/motorists it is not. One very good example is the junction between Barkers Pool, Leopold St. Pinstone St. and Surrey St. This junction although busy had traffic lights and Pelican crossings so motorists could go anywhere they needed to (except up Barkers Pool - one way only towards the lights) and pedestrians were safe. However the council altered the junction so that if you drove up to the junction along Surrey St. (now one-way from the junction with Norfolk St.) you had to turn left into Pinstone St (now one-way at this point). Should you drive down Barkers Pool to the junction you have to turn left into Leopold St. (effectively a one-way for car drivers as the other end of it has a bus gate on it). From Leopold St. your only way out is via Pinfold St./Trippet Lane (a Red Light district!!! - this is an absolutely staggering planning blunder as anyone who visits the City Hall for a concert/play/opera or Sheffields/UKs biggest solicitors HAS to drive through this area!). Following all this re-routing of traffic the council cobbled the lot, which in effect loses the differential between the road and pavement, and removed the traffic lights/pelican crossings. Now although there's far less cars using these roads there's still a significant number of buses travel along Leopold St. and on to Pinstone St. but now that the traffic lights have gone the buses come flighing through this junction which isn't safe as most people crossing this road have no idea they've left the pedestrian precinct because of the all over cobbling that's occurred.

Below:- Map giving general road layout around the Barkers Pool/Leopold St./Pinstone St. junction. Photograph to follow!

Another side effect to this re-routing of traffic effects people who work/park at the City Hall, before all the changes to this junction all that a motorist had to do was turn right from Barkers Pool onto Pinstone St. then left on to Furnival Gate then right at Furnival Square follow along join the inner ring road and from there you could get to any area of the city with ease. Now if you wish to head south or get to the motorway (after a concert for example), the quickest (?!) way is - down Barkers Pool, left onto Leopold St. across onto Penfold St./Trippet Lane (give a wave to the working girls!) left at the crossroads onto Rockingham St. left onto West St. (can't go straight on - it's a one-way!) right onto Carver St. (can't follow West St. there's a bus gate after the Carver St. turning!) on to roundabout at Charter Sq. head right along Charter Row to the next roundabout where you can join the inner ring road! Now you can see how the bus companies came up with the motto - It's quicker by bus!