New Kirkstall road signs tempt drivers to do more on foot

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Signs have appeared around the congested Kirkstall Bridge area encouraging local people to think about all the destinations that can be walked to in under 20 minutes.

Local residents have worked together to design and install the boards, which signpost destinations like Kirkstall Abbey, Kirkstall Valley Nature Reserve and Bramley Fall Park to mark today’s Clean Air Day 2019.

kirkstall walking sign

The initiative is the idea of a group of people living in Kirkstall who are concerned about traffic congestion and pollution.

Kirkstall resident John Puddephatt hopes the signs would people to do their bit to cut back on their carbon footprint. He said:

“The Kirkstall Valley is home to many beautiful places, but sadly it feels like people’s day-to-day experience of it is dominated by sitting in or walking alongside long queues of traffic.

“Leeds City Council declared a climate emergency and is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2030 which recognises the seriousness of the problems we face, but as local residents we need to each play our part where we can.

“We decided to get creative with these signs to do something positive for Clean Air Day, and remind people that the Kirkstall Valley is a great place to explore on foot.”

The group plan to install more signs if they receive a positive reaction, potentially covering a wider area and signposting a wider range of walkable destinations.

Elsewhere in Leeds, roadside signs have appeared in Oakwood informing people about thw high air pollution levels in the area. Residents have been carrying out measurements using a DIY air monitoring system, finding that the air quality in the area is often worse than that in cities like Beijing.

Clean Air Day is a UK-wide initiative on Thursday, June 20 which is encouraging people to do their bit to cut back on their carbon footprint for the day.

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