Rodford Way accident site - pedestrian safety (?)

South Glos Council has now designed a scheme to deal with hazards to pedestrians crossing Rodford Way near Abbotswood, the site where a child was killed in November 2008. They are proposing a railing along the middle of the dual carriageway to stop people crossing. It would run from the junction with Chargrove, past the pub to the crossing point next to the Kelston Close junction, and would be erected "in early 2011".

South Glos is convinced that encouraging pedestrians to use the underpass, in road safety terms, is the safest way of getting from one side of Rodford Way to the other. They have also arranged:

• Regular cleaning of the underpass,
• Additional police patrols, thanks in part to an additional council-funded PCSO
• Signs on both sides of Rodford Way advising pedestrians to use the underpass
• Repainting the underpass and installing a flood warning system
• Clearing vegetation on the south side of the underpass to improve visibility 
• Extra road safety advice and training for pupils at local school

Do you think this is the answer to the problem - to force people to use an underpass they plainly don't want to? Local councillors have suggested two linked light-controlled crossings, but South Glos has ignored them. The councillors' idea is to have one crossing near the underpass location and one at the Kelston Close crossing point. If the button is pressed, BOTH sets of lights would turn red. The delay would be set so that drivers would never be held up at both sets of lights.

This has been an issue of concern for the last few meetings of the Yate Safer Stronger Community Group. Its next  meeting is at Poole Court this Thursday, 3rd March at 7pm (refreshments available from 6.45pm)

Please come along and let everyone know what you think about the railing idea!