New pedestrian crossings in Preston revealed as part of road safety plans

A zebra crossing will be installed on Cadley Causeway, where several people have been seriously injured over the past six years, and the current zebra crossing outside the Royal Preston Hospital will be converted into a traffic light-controlled 'puffin' crossing.

Cabinet members at Lancashire County Council approved £1m worth of projects to be undertaken throughout the region over the next 12 months – half of which will be dedicated to better protecting cyclists.

Across the county, £250,000 will be spent on installing powered poles on all main entrances to major towns to carry movable variable message signs displaying cycle safety messages. A further £100,000 will go on putting cameras on traffic signals at junctions where there are high rates of cycling collisions and issues with red-light jumping.

There will be three other cycle-focused schemes in specific locations, while seven general road safety upgrades will be carried out across five different districts, including Chorley and Wyre.

The authority’s recently-appointed cabinet member for highways and transport, Charlie Edwards, said that improving safety for all road users was “one of the biggest things” that he had been contacted about since taking on the role last month.

“Road safety is something everyone is keen [to see] action on. Having met with the newly-elected Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden, it’s very clear from him that he also shares this as one of his massive objectives – I was really reassured by what he was saying about road safety,” County Cllr Edwards added.

Separately, speed limits will be reduced on nine stretches of road in the county, while traffic orders will be amended in relation to several others in order to allow enforcement of the limits currently in place.

NEW CROSSINGS FOR TWO PRESTON PROBLEM SPOTS

The zebra crossing set to be created on Cadley Causeway, beyond the brow of a hill near St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, will be a raised feature that sits above the current road level.

The £45,000 scheme’s inclusion on the list of road safety projects to be carried out in Lancashire over the coming year came much to the delight of the city councillor for the area, who had been calling for action even before a spate of incidents which sparked concern amongst locals.

They included a young boy being knocked over in 2015 and, four years later, another child being struck and a pensioner and her daughter ending up in hospital after a vehicle crashed into their car, a bus stop and the church wall.

Cadley ward councillor John Potter said it had been “a bit of a marathon” to secure the crossing “with many ups, downs, frustrations and false dawns along the way”.

“However, today is a good day and I’m delighted it’s been approved.

“You wouldn’t become a Lib Dem councillor in the North West for the money or the glory but it’s results like this that make it worthwhile. This crossing will save someone’s life in the future, but also make the everyday lives of residents in the area better and safer,” said Cllr Potter, who also represents Preston West on the county council.

The authority had said back in 2019 that the site did not meet the criteria for intervention.

Meanwhile, just over a mile away on Sharoe Green Lane, the existing zebra crossing outside the Royal Preston Hospital will be ripped up and a traffic light 'puffin' crossing installed in its place.

With a price tag of £120,000, it is the most expensive of the road safety schemes approved for the year ahead and will see the replacement of the well-used connection between the hospital and the parade of shops opposite.

Cllr Daniel Duckworth, one of the Sharoe Green ward councillors on Preston City Council, said of the planned new safety feature: “[It] is brilliant and something both ourselves and residents have been campaigning for to improve traffic flow and safety and [to create a] more efficient crossing, especially at peak times, which will hopefully help traffic issues around the hospital.

“It is important that we continue to work with residents, the county council and the hospital to resolve their highway and parking issues,” Cllr Duckworth added.

ROAD SAFETY SCHEMES

Location of work (including county council division) and nature of project:

Chorley

A6 and Dawson Lane, Clayton with Whittle – continue advisory cycle lane through junction with distinct colour. Improved cycle lane through pedestrian crossing to Factory Lane.

Lancaster

Halton Road and Church Brow, Lancaster Rural East – traffic-calming and bus cushions; warning signs, widened centre line and edge-of-carriageway markings to visually narrow carriageway and highlight gateway into Halton.

A5105 Coastal Road, Hest Bank, Morecambe North – warning signs and edge-of-carriageway markings to visually narrow carriageway and highlight gateway into Hest Bank. Speed limit reduction to 30mph.

Preston

Sharoe Green Lane, Preston North – upgrade existing zebra crossing outside Royal Preston Hospital to a puffin crossing.

Cadley Causeway, Preston West and Preston Central West – traffic-calming, including installation of a raised zebra crossing east of the junction with Mill Lane, relocation of the eastbound bus stop and moving the existing speed camera to between St Anthony’s Drive and Dunkirk Avenue.

Ribble Valley

A59 Gisburn Road, Smithies Bridge, Ribble Valley North East – improved lining and LED road studs to reduce loss of control and collisions caused by crossing centre line.

Wyre

A6 Lancaster New Road, Cabus Junction, Wyre Rural East – improved signing of frontages and upcoming hazards around the area of the petrol station including edge of carriageway markings, and installation of “SLOW” mark and dragons’ teeth markings.

CYCLING SAFETY SCHEMES

Lancashire-wide

Targeted road safety messaging – powered poles on all main entries into major towns to carry movable variable message signs bearing cycle safety messages.

Traffic signal enforcement cameras – provision of red-light cameras at sites with cycle collisions and red-light contravention issues.

Monitoring and evaluation of cycling safety schemes throughout 2021/22.

Lancaster

Shrimp Roundabout, Morecambe South – development fund to target collisions and improve cycling facilities at the roundabout junction.

A6/M6 Junction 33, Lancaster Rural East – development fund to target collisions and improve cycling facilities at the roundabout junction.

West Lancashire

Ruff Lane, Ormskirk, West Lancashire East – traffic-calming of route from Edge Hill University to Ormskirk Town Centre, including chicanes with cycle bypass.

SPEED REDUCTIONS

Following public consultations, the county council’s cabinet has now approved the following changes:

Chorley

Moor Road, Croston, and Ulnes Walton Lane, Ulnes Walton – in preparation for introduction of average speed cameras on the A581, speed limit reductions will be introduced on side roads close to the junction with the main route.

West Lancashire

Parbold Hill and Sparrow Hill, Parbold – reduction to 40mph along the two stretches of the A5209 to bring them in line with the other parts of the route and address concerns over fluctuations in speed and the potential for accidents.

Wyre

Joe Lane, Catterall – reduction from 30mph to 20mph for the entire length of the route following completion of a new housing development.

Back Lane, Stalmine-with-Staynall, Brick House Lane, Stalmine-with-Staynall, and Moss Side Lane, Stalmine-with-Staynall – reductions from the current national speed limits following increase in housing developments in the area over time.

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