OUTLANE SAFETY CAMPAIGN BACK ON THE ROAD (Kirklees Liberal Democrats)

Kirklees Liberal Democrats <info@kirkleeslibdems.org.uk>

OUTLANE SAFETY CAMPAIGN BACK ON THE ROAD

June 8, 2007 10:52 PM

- Visually impaired resident gives backing to renewed calls for pedestrian crossing in busy M62 village

Visually impaired resident gives backing to renewed calls for pedestrian crossing in busy M62 village

Cllr Nicola Turner (Lib Dem, Colne Valley) and her fellow Colne Valley Ward colleagues are calling for a pedestrian crossing to be installed in Outlane Village after receiving the backing of a visually impaired resident.

Cllr Turner says: "Local people living in Outlane have been concerned about the increasing levels of speeding traffic for some time and the main road in and out of the village has certainly become much busier of late with more and more cars passing through the village heading to or from the motorway"

Colne Valley Ward Councillors ran a petition locally asking for Highways to urgently resolve the speeding traffic issues in Outlane.

Recently, new lower speed limits were introduced but this has not solved the problem.

"We have heard form the council that they are now planning to install a pedestrian island" says Cllr Turner "While this is better than nothing, we are not entirely convinced by this proposal".

"We have let local people know about the council's plans and had a mixed response. A visually impaired local resident has also come forward urging us to try and get a pedestrian crossing. The gentleman wants to be able to use the bus stop and the local amenities safely and independently. He says the council's plans won't help him to do this".

"With a traffic island, there are physical measures put in to help visually impaired people, such as textured concrete at kerbsides. But with the noise from the nearby motorway obscuring the sound of approaching vehicles, the resident says the island alone won't solve the problem for him and he will be stuck relying on others".

"For both the benefit of this individual and the wider community, we feel that pedestrian islands and a crossing with lights are needed in Outlane. "

"Putting in a proper crossing now would seem to me to be a sensible way forward to ensure everyone's safety; it might even save someone's life in the years to come."