Leeds West MP Rachel Reeves is demanding urgent action from Leeds City Council following several serious and fatal road traffic collisions across West Leeds in the past eight weeks.
Since Ms Reeves first wrote to Leeds City Council in May, there have been a further two serious incidents and two fatalities on West Leeds roads.
A cyclist was killed on Stanningley Road on 28th May, a child was injured and hospitalised on Wortley Road on 18th June, a pedestrian was hit and killed on Stanningley Road on 12th July and a woman was injured and hospitalised in a collision on the A65 Abbey Road on 15th July.
All of these incidents took place within less than a three-mile radius of each other.
Ms Reeves is calling for more 20mph zones to be introduced. She said:
“The recent collisions on roads in West Leeds are tragic for families who have lost loved ones and incredibly concerning for everyone in the local community.
“We urgently need the support of Leeds City Council to reduce speed limits across our area and to prevent any further lives being lost.
“Cutting speed limits on our roads will save lives and make our streets far safer for everyone who uses them.
“I understand the strength of feeling of the whole community on this issue and I want to see urgent action to improve road safety for pedestrians, drivers and cyclists across the city.”
Ms Reeves carried out a major survey to investigate the problems and look at possible solutions. The wide-ranging road safety survey attracted responses from 511 people and revealed serious fears about drivers breaking the speed limits on local roads.
Several roads were reported as problem areas or potential collision “hot spots”. These included Kirkstall Road, Stanningley Road, Armley Town Street, Broad Lane in Bramley and Leeds Bradford Road which has a 40mph speed limit, despite having on it residential housing, a park and playing fields. The survey was reported on by WLD back in February.
Last night’s Armley Forum meeting saw residents back calls for lower speed limits and speed cameras along the whole of Stanningley Road.
Residents also said they will organise a ‘community speed watch day’ where local people wearing hi-vis jackets join with police at the side of the road and monitor the speed of vehicles as well as help educate drivers about speeding.
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