Crossing agreed as Dudley bus station plans are axed
A new pedestrian crossing near the spot where a man was killed after being hit by a car is to go ahead – despite the axe falling on proposals for a new bus station nearby.
Dudley Council won cash for the £650,000 traffic light-controlled crossing on the dual carriageway in Pedmore Road, near the Merry Hill Centre, as part of improvements for bus services.
The family of 53-year-old taxman Chris Clarke, who died as he walked to work at the nearby HM Revenue & Customs at The Waterfront in April, called for a crossing to be installed on the busy road after the tragedy.
People living in houses off Pedmore Road have also been campaigning for the safety improvement.
The crossing scheme – which will be near the site of the former Robin Hood pub – was originally due to link in with a £3 million new bus station at Merry Hill, which has been shelved by transport bosses as being too expensive.
But the council has now revealed that the crossing will still be installed – while a further £450,000 scheme to introduce nearby bus priority measures at the junction of The Boulevard and Mill Street, Brierley HIll, is also going to happen.
Dudley councillor Khurshid Ahmed, cabinet member for transportation, said: "As part of money secured through the Better Bus Area Fund Dudley Council will still be introducing a traffic light-controlled crossing on Pedmore Road to improve pedestrian access to the Merry Hill centre.
"We are pleased to have retained this funding and detailed planning on the £650,000 scheme will now start in December with a view to work starting on site in March.
"Meanwhile a further £450,000 was secured to provide bus priority measures at the junction of The Boulevard with Mill Street in Brierley Hill to improve bus time reliability at the centre."
Mr Clarke, of Lantern Road, Dudley Wood, Netherton, suffered fatal head injuries when he was hit by a car in Pedmore Road.
His widow, Doretta, said after the accident: "There are hundreds of people who cross that road every day from the nearby housing estate but the only crossing is at the top of Merry Hill lights, at the Quarry Bank end.
"There's no crossing at the bottom end where he had to go over the road, which is several hundred yards away from the top lights.
"There should be a crossing somewhere along there."
