I much prefer to walk, its better for you and a steady pace burns 100 calories per hour ….. However, to walk in urban villages such as Prestwich, you need to be able to cross the roads!  We’ve got a new ‘joined-up’ Police-operated traffic management system for arterial roads to the City of Manchester.  Which means that lights are operated and altered to suit traffic flow.  An impact for us locally is that traffic junction light change sequences are speedier.  This has resulted in more traffic accidents from motorists who jump lights as they turn to read as well as impossibility for pedestrians to cross some road junctions.  However, traffic flow has improved and standing traffic with resulting pollution, reduced.  

The A56 junction of Bury New Road with Hilton Lane/Scholes Lane is now a particular problem, concerning many residents and school children.  As it’s also a junction that I use regularly, I see children and Mums darting across and stupid drivers refusing to allow them time to cross- how sick can people be when they start to drive up to people to push them off the road.  I was so mad I wanted to drive into one man recently as he forced a mother with a pram and two children to literally run for their lives.  But that’s not the answer! 

So at our recent Council meeting, I asked the question about why this junction is so dangerous and yet there are no plans for improvements due to the scale of costs of doing it.  I’d lobbied for a re-modelling survey and costings to be done and have been told it will be over £1 million!  I’ve asked to Scoot to slow traffic down there and a lolly-pop school crossing service.  Ah……… but the junction is unsuitable for a crossing patrol - ……. – is it too dangerous for one?  When the junction is finally improved, I was told, they will certainly consider a crossing!   I’ve been working to get this junction improved for several years and it’s getting more and more dangerous and will continue to campaign for it.