Children and their parents “run the gauntlet of traffic volumes and unpredictable motorists” when crossing Hitchin Road in Upper Caldecote to attend school, a meeting heard.
Villager Robyn Hardy presented a 479-signature petition calling for a controlled crossing at a Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) traffic management meeting.
“Walking my children to and from school daily, unfortunately, we run the gauntlet of traffic and unpredictable drivers,” she explained.
“With a couple of near misses fresh in my memory, the risk of doing this routine is unacceptably high.
“The volume of traffic there is steadily rising, as proven by a recent survey. But the number of pedestrians is also rising, with new homes being built.
“A safe crossing is essential to make the school accessible to all the families in the village catchment. Some parents living nearby drive because Hitchin Road is too big a risk to take.
“What a shame that to reach the front door of the newly renovated village Post Office means taking your life in your hands to dart through the traffic.
“A survey stated that on average there’s a vehicle travelling along this road every four seconds at peak times. That’s not enough time for the young, the old, someone with a pram or anyone with reduced mobility to cross safely.
“I look forward to a crossing which will give parents and all other residents some peace of mind, as our children grow up in the village and we become too old to make a four-second dash.”
Conservative Northill Cllr Paul Daniels agreed, saying, “We’ve a strong case for taking this proposal forward now, with the traffic survey conducted by CBC, evidence from schoolchildren, strong community support from Northill Parish Council, and a highways officer indicating there’s a case for such a crossing.
“The survey recorded 230 vehicles in 15 minutes. I’ve joined Robyn and her children on a walk to school to see for myself the difficulties pedestrians face each day.
“It’s marvellous the school has taken this on, with about 40 wonderful drawings by the children showing road safety is something important in their lives. We ask that officers identify the most suitable location on Hitchin Road and decide the most appropriate type of crossing.”
“Hideously expensive”
CBC’s head of traffic management Kyle Stewart told the meeting, “While traffic volumes have increased, speed compliance remains good.
“There’s a weight limit on the road to deter those larger vehicles making non-essential journeys from using Hitchin Road,” he said.
“We’ve limited grant funding, which is being prioritised at locations with a history of injury accidents.
“There’s no evidence of such or any other accident patterns on Hitchin Road, but there are potentially other funding streams.
“I’m happy to consult the Active Travel team and Section 106 monitoring officers to see what finance is available that could be diverted in the future.”
Independent Aspley and Woburn Cllr John Baker, who chairs the meeting, labelled the £90,000 to £120,000 cost of a zebra crossing “hideously expensive”.
They added, “There’s a fair amount of housing, so I’m surprised no Section 106 finance has been negotiated for these kinds of improvements.
“You’ll have to do your bidding and lobbying during the capital programme (budgeting) later this year. I can’t say ‘yes’ now, as it’s such a big project.”
It was agreed Mr Stewart would see whether any Section 106 (developer contributions) funding was allocated for highway improvements from new estates built locally, including Lapwing Drive and Skylark View.
By Euan Duncan
Local Democracy Reporter
