Agenda item

Tom Finnegan-Smith, Transportation Unit Manager, to report.

-  to report receipt of a 23 signature petition and a further 3 objections from residents affected by a proposal for a new Puffin Crossing outside St Bede’s school, Wortley Road, Kimberworth.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Transportation Unit Manager, relating to the receipt of a 23 signature petition and a further 3 objections from residents affected by a proposal for a new Puffin Crossing outside St Bede’s school, Wortley Road, Kimberworth.

A copy of the petition was attached and details of the objections were set out in the submitted report.

In light of the objections the Transportation Unit had re-visited the initial assessment of the crossing (undertaken in 2005) and re-assessed the location against new criteria which was approved at the 6th February, 2006 Cabinet Member for Economic, Regeneration and Development Services Meeting (Minute No. 182 refers).

The new criteria assessed the crossing location based on an average of the 4 peak hour periods of pedestrians crossing instead of the highest 2 peak periods used prior to the 2006 revision.

A simple analysis of pedestrian flows and traffic flows using the latest method identified that the proposed crossing still met the required criteria.  However, closer analysis of the data showed a skew in the results. The majority of pedestrians crossing at this location crossed during two short time periods; these were at the start and end of the school day.  At other times of the day the number of pedestrians crossing was low and a crossing for these low numbers would not be justified.

A School Crossing Patrol was currently in operation at the peak periods with no reported road safety or traffic related concerns. In the event that a controlled crossing was installed outside St Bede’s there was the potential that the current School Crossing Patrol post would be removed.

Discussions had taken place with Children and Young People Services regarding this crossing patrol and it had been agreed that a crossing patrol was currently the best form of crossing facility at this location given there were only two times of day when there was a demand for a crossing. 

As a result of the above it was therefore recommended that work on the proposal for a controlled pedestrian crossing outside properties 526 and 528 be halted and a feasibility study be undertaken to identify other potential crossing improvements.

Site observations suggested that, even though traffic islands were present nearby at the junction of Great Park Road, pedestrians were still having difficulty crossing the A629.  Further improvements at the Great Park Road junction along with minor improvements around St Bede’s could help to reduce vehicle speeds on the section of the A629 thereby assisting pedestrians to cross the road. It was anticipated that, with reduced funding available from the 2011/12 financial year integrated transport budget allocation, improvements at the Great Park Road junction as suggested would provide a greater benefit than a stand alone pedestrian crossing at St Bede’s School.

It was pointed out that the original scheme had a budget estimate of £132,450 and would have been funded from the RMBC Local Transport Plan budget 2010/11. It was now expected that only a small proportion of this funding would be used to investigate and develop further options to improve accessibility on this section of the A629.

Also at present the level of funding for transportation projects in the 2011/12 financial year was uncertain and funding may not be available to undertake any recommended scheme.

Resolved:-  (1)  That no further work be undertaken on the proposal to introduce a Puffin signal controlled pedestrian crossing at this time and that further investigation be undertaken into alternatives to help pedestrians cross the road in this area.

(2)  That the lead petitioner be informed of the outcome.