Residents who were told a busy-three way junction was not dangerous enough for a crossing have been given fresh hope a year on.
Middleton Community Group pleaded for a crossing near the bus turnaround in the Thorpe Lane area, at the bottom of Middleton Park Avenue, in Middleton, but were rebuffed by highways officials.
Despite fears for the safety of the area’s elderly residents and schoolchildren, Leeds City Council is only now planning to install facilities after securing “additional funding” one year on.
Chair of Middleton Community Group, Dot Mounteney, who called for a crossing a year ago, said: “We thought we wouldn’t get it, we were told we wouldn’t get it and then one of the councillors brought it up.
“It’s needed as school kids going to Rodillian have to cross that road as do people living at the bottom end of the road. It’s always been quite dangerous.”
She disagreed with crossings being installed due to previous accident figures as “the idea of having crossings is to prevent accidents”.
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After plans are finalised a zebra crossing will be installed across Middleton Park Avenue along with improvements to bus and pedestrian facilities across Middleton Park Avenue, Throstle Road and Thorpe Road early next year.
Coun Kim Groves (Lab, Middleton Park) said: “Local ward members have listened to residents who felt that a crossing was needed as the area has a large volume of traffic and is close to our children’s centre and schools.”
Last year residents were told the road came below guidelines in terms how much it was used and that there had been four accidents in six years there – not enough to warrant a crossing.
A council spokeswoman said initial surveys of the site showed it was on the “borderline” for a zebra crossing but a new review highlighted it as a place “where pedestrian facilities were in need of updating”.
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