Traffic signs cost rises by £300,000

Oct 6 2007 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

COSTS for a congestion-busting plan for 30 electronic signs to steer motorists into Liverpool’s city centre car parking spaces have escalated by a third.

The signs will start being installed on arterial routes into the centre next month at a cost of £1.47m.

Council officials said that case studies have shown that systems like this have significant benefits in reducing congestion and cutting the time spent searching for a parking space by half.

The signs, which have been the preserve of many other towns and cities for years, are part of Liverpool’s catch-up, said the council’s regeneration leader Cllr Mike Storey.

Labour’s deputy leader Cllr Paul Brant said the signs were desperately needed, but spending more than £300,000 than originally planned was a “serious” issue.

When the scheme was originally approved in January, 2006, it was estimated to cost £1.1m, but a decision to change the names of parking zones and the system’s specification led to increased costs.

The extra £362,000 needed will be paid for out of savings on other capital schemes, council officials said last night.

Cllr Storey said it was a continua- tion of improving the city centre for motorists after pedestrians and public transport had been concentrated on.

“We have changed the scheme quite considerably. The areas were going be named after compass points, which I thought was daft.”

He said the zones had been changed to Waterfront, Shopping, Cultural, and Commercial, to help visitors to the city find their way round.

He added: “The reason we are spending more is because we changed the spec and made it more thorough.”

He said there had been three bids for the tender and the one that won was the cheapest.

Cars parks will be fitted with “magic eyes” that count the number of cars that enter and exit a car park.

The information is then displayed on the boards on streets like the Strand, Upper Parliament Street, Edge Lane, and West Derby Road.

If a car park is full the signs are designed to direct drivers to other car parks with spaces.

It is hoped signs to shopping areas and the waterfront will be up and working by Christmas in time for the launch of the Arena and Conference Centre opening in January.

The rest of the signs should be in place by February.

Cllr Brant said: “It is essential that the signs are installed as quickly and cost effectively as possible.”

davidbartlett