Express & Star

Plans to remove one of two pedestrian crossings along a busy Black Country street could create a hazard as drivers may be tempted to speed up, it is feared.

There are currently two crossings within a few yards along Wellington Road, in Dudley. Highways bosses have agreed they are too close together and have recommended the removal of one near the junction with Dock Road. But former ward councillor Serena Craigie has been studying the street and the possible impact the removal of the crossing may have.

Although she agrees with the idea of removing the second crossing in principle, she fears the clear road it would create could cause another safety issue for pedestrians.

She said: “I do not have a problem with that but I fear that cars coming from the town centre direction will then have a clear road around the bend by Dock Road and will suddenly be confronted by the pedestrian crossing outside the Sikh Temple.

“If nothing is done we could finish up with a much faster flow of traffic from the Stafford Street lights around the bends by the leisure centre.

“Motorists could then be confronted by what appears to be a very flimsy and hard-to-recognise pedestrian crossing.

“This is a busy pedestrian road with residents, students, the elderly and customers of local businesses all having to negotiate getting across a very busy road.”

Serena Craigie has written to the Director of the Urban Environment, John Millar, outlining her concerns.

She has asked him to consider additional safety measures such as better signing, road markings, and switching the remaining crossing into one with pedestrian-controlled traffic lights.

The scheme to remove one of the Wellington Road crossings will form part of the councils’ highways programme for 2008-9.

Around a dozen projects are included in the programme, which aims to curb speeding on roads across the borough.

In Stourbridge, projects include slashing the speed limit and putting up warning signs along Ham Lane and Grange Lane, in Pedmore.