WELCOME GIVEN TO RETURN OF NEW HEY ROAD TRAFFIC ISLANDS (Kirklees Liberal Democrats)

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

WELCOME GIVEN TO RETURN OF NEW HEY ROAD TRAFFIC ISLANDS

July 30, 2008 9:05 PM

Work has begun to return traffic islands to New Hey Road.

Cllr Nicola Turner, Liberal Democrat Member in Colne Valley Ward - who is also a School Governor at Salendine Nook High School - has expressed her delight as workmen returned to the busy A Road to make it safer to cross for the school and college students.

Cllr Turner and her Lib Dem colleague, Cllr Christine Stanfield, went to inspect the New Hey Road site.

Cllr Turner says:

"I am absolutely delighted that the council has decided to reinstall traffic islands on the road as part of its proposed road safety scheme."

"When the islands were originally removed, pupils and parents expressed concerns about the change. In fact at a meeting with Highways Officers and school representatives told officers that students now felt unsafe using the zebra crossing and that they might avoid using the crossings altogether if that was the case."

"My children attend the high school and I certainly wasn't happy about the situation at all. New Hey Road is very wide and there needs to be a place to take refuge to give people confidence in being able to cross it safely, in their own time"

"It is a shame the council couldn't get the scheme right the first time round. A lot of what they are doing is just reversing things they did before"

The whole road safety improvement scheme is expected to be completed by the end of the summer holidays and will include:

• Narrower crossings (8m instead of 10m)

• An island in the centre of each crossing

• New, improved signs

• More belisha beacons and better lighting

• Flashing amber warning signs at peak times