| Petition Overview: |
We the undersigned petition Hertfordshire County Council to install a pedestrian crossing at a suitable point between Young’s Rise and Applecroft school on Valley Road, Welwyn Garden City. Residents have waited long enough for action. A pedestrian crossing would ensure that there is a safe crossing point for ALL pedestrians at ALL times of the day. It is just luck that there has not been a serious accident and we do not feel lives should be sacrificed before something is done. 2016 is Hertfordshire's Year of Walking so we call upon Hertfordshire County Council to urgently install a pedestrian crossing. This extremely busy road is crossed by children and adults at the peak of the morning rush hour, and again between 3 - 6 p.m., to get to and from Applecroft and Stanborough schools, several preschools/nurseries, trains and buses for schools in the surrounding area and to the town centre. Pedestrians are often crossing in dark or twilight from October to March.Despite speed monitoring by the local ‘Hertfordshire Police DriveSafe scheme’, vehicles on Valley road regularly travel over the speed limit. Parents, carers, young children and older people report feeling stressed and even terrified attempting to cross. It should not be this way.We have collected evidence from pedestrians who report 'near misses' and describe cars slowing to let them cross, only to find that the car behind then overtakes causing a very dangerous and potentially life threatening situation. Impacts of having no safe place to cross include: People take risks crossing as there are limited gaps in traffic flow at peak times. Lack of independence for older children. Parents and carers do not feel safe letting their children walk independently. People drive very short distances to avoid crossing the road. A lollipop crossing would only protect people crossing for a very limited part of the day (and require significant community fundraising) and would not cover many of the children crossing for secondary schools and buses to outlying schools, as they cross earlier in the morning. Reasons given for not installing a crossing have included ‘the road is either too wide or too narrow’ and that there are not enough pedestrians crossing. We find this unacceptable. Where there is a will there is a way. We urge Hertfordshire County Council to relook at this issue. |