100 signatures reached
To: Kirklees Council
Provide a Safer Crossing of Westbourne Road near Gledholt Roundabout
Petition to request that Kirklees Council fund work to make crossing Westbourne Road near Gledholt roundabout safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
This would involve reconfiguration of the street area around the junction of Glebe Street and Grasmere Road with Westbourne Road in Marsh, including the addition of a controlled Toucan crossing.
Why is this important?
Current experience
Crossing Westbourne road at this location as a pedestrian or cyclist can be a scary experience and often involves having to cross in small gaps in constant traffic and sprint out of the way of fast and emerging vehicles.
The Problem
It is hard to judge vehicle speeds coming off Gledholt Roundabout and often vehicles emerge from Grasmere Road without looking for pedestrians crossing the main road, as they too are trying to watch for gaps in traffic from the roundabout.
This is not helped by the many vehicles that ignore the no right turn signs when emerging from Glebe Street.
Who this effects
Personally I have experienced struggling to cross and having to make a dash for it at this junction many times and have heard many others mention similar issues crossing. It is a well known issue for anyone who tries to cross here.
It is even scarier for anyone crossing here with children or those less able to cross quickly.
This is a busy crossing point particularly for those using Greenhead Park and is in a built up area where the barrier caused by the main road should be reduced as much as possible.
This is especially important if we want more people to walk, cycle and wheel rather than jumping in the car for short journeys causing even more congestion on our roads and reducing further the available parking near Greenhead Park.
Even worse is the isolation that can be caused for those who don't feel safe not feeling they can get out and about.
A solution already exist
Amazingly there is already a developed plan to do something about this junction.
It has already been consulted on twice as part of the A629 Phase 4 project.
This scheme proposed reconfiguring the end of Grasmere Road and adding a signalled crossing.
Unfortunately despite it being 5 years (!) since it was first consulted on in 2019 then again in 2021 the project was paused indefinitely in 2023 on financial grounds.
Our request to Kirklees Council
This petition calls on Kirklees Council to fund this particular part of the scheme separately rather than having to wait on funding to become available from the A629 Phase 4 scheme as a whole.
It is unknown when, if ever, this funding will become available and the need for work to make this junction safer is immediate.
Crossing Westbourne road at this location as a pedestrian or cyclist can be a scary experience and often involves having to cross in small gaps in constant traffic and sprint out of the way of fast and emerging vehicles.
The Problem
It is hard to judge vehicle speeds coming off Gledholt Roundabout and often vehicles emerge from Grasmere Road without looking for pedestrians crossing the main road, as they too are trying to watch for gaps in traffic from the roundabout.
This is not helped by the many vehicles that ignore the no right turn signs when emerging from Glebe Street.
Who this effects
Personally I have experienced struggling to cross and having to make a dash for it at this junction many times and have heard many others mention similar issues crossing. It is a well known issue for anyone who tries to cross here.
It is even scarier for anyone crossing here with children or those less able to cross quickly.
This is a busy crossing point particularly for those using Greenhead Park and is in a built up area where the barrier caused by the main road should be reduced as much as possible.
This is especially important if we want more people to walk, cycle and wheel rather than jumping in the car for short journeys causing even more congestion on our roads and reducing further the available parking near Greenhead Park.
Even worse is the isolation that can be caused for those who don't feel safe not feeling they can get out and about.
A solution already exist
Amazingly there is already a developed plan to do something about this junction.
It has already been consulted on twice as part of the A629 Phase 4 project.
This scheme proposed reconfiguring the end of Grasmere Road and adding a signalled crossing.
Unfortunately despite it being 5 years (!) since it was first consulted on in 2019 then again in 2021 the project was paused indefinitely in 2023 on financial grounds.
Our request to Kirklees Council
This petition calls on Kirklees Council to fund this particular part of the scheme separately rather than having to wait on funding to become available from the A629 Phase 4 scheme as a whole.
It is unknown when, if ever, this funding will become available and the need for work to make this junction safer is immediate.
