By John Baron
Plans for new or improved pedestrian crossings in Kirkstall and Pudsey have been revealed by Leeds City Council this week.
The council annual pedestrian crossing review has identified a £450,000 package of formal and informal crossings at nine sites across Leeds.
These include improvements at the mini-roundabout junction of Spen Lane with Vesper Road, in Kirkstall and the existing crossing on Uppermoor, Pudsey, near Victoria Road.
Spen Lane/Vesper Road, Kirkstall
Although there have been no register accidents in the past five years, concerns have been raised about number of pedestrians crossing the location, along with the difficulty of crossing due to presence of the junction.
The council proposes to introduce two carriageway refuges, one on Spen Lane south of the roundabout and one on Vesper Road, to allow pedestrians to cross in two halves and not face being stranded.
Uppermoor, Pudsey
The report says three pedestrians have been hurt during ‘slight collisions’ on the crossing since June 2021 and proposes a new humped crossing to slow traffic down.
The report adds: “It is proposed, therefore, to place the crossing atop a road hump, to enforce drivers to slow [down]. Additionally, the belisha beacons will be changed to direct lighting and LED beacons, to make the footways and crossing area lighter during hours of darkness.”
The council’s highways department will carry out a public consultation over the proposals once the detailed scheme has been drawn up. Pudsey’s councillors have been lobbying for improvements at the crossing.
Kirkstall Lane
There are also plans to improve the existing zebra crossing facility on Kirkstall Lane, Headingley, between Langdale Avenue and Langdale Gardens, which is part of a route linking west Leeds to north Leeds.
The report adds: “The new formal and informal pedestrian crossing sites will provide safe, defined crossing points for pedestrians in these areas. By improving highway safety and removing potential severance concerns, the programme supports active travel choices in local areas for those pedestrians wishing to walk to their destination.”
The report can be viewed in full here.
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