Green man signals for danger crossings in Smethwick
Flashing green men are making a return to Smethwick following concerns people were struggling to cross the road safely.
The warning signals are being installed on pedestrian crossings including in Bearwood Road as part of a £2 million revamp.
Work is taking place along Bearwood Road and Cape Hill over the coming year after funding for the project was earmarked from Sandwell Council's revenue surplus.
The green man warning lights were removed from crossings several years ago but they are now returning following calls from the community.
Councillor Bob Piper said: "When we asked people about improvements on Bearwood Road last autumn, one of the points that a number of people raised was the difficulty, particularly for the elderly, in getting across the road safely.
"Since the 'green man' was removed from the crossing some years ago, pedestrians were clearly uneasy when crossing without a visible indication in front of them letting them know it was safe to cross.
"The first one is currently being installed on the Bearwood Road crossing near St Mary's Church, and the other crossings will follow."
The council is also working on junction improvement plans for Bearwood Road with preliminary designs still being worked on.
Once completed these will go out for residents to have their says and to be approved by councillors. This work will also take place in phases. The authority said improvements along Cape Hill were also in the pipeline with detailed designs now being worked on.
Public consultation will take place later this year and work will begin in the autumn.
Cape Hill has one of the highest numbers of recorded road accidents with 34 incidents involving 40 casualties over the five years to the end of November last year.
Among plans for the road include the installation of a controlled pedestrian crossing in the main shopping area and bus stops relocated to either side of the proposed crossing. Better lighting would also be installed along the route and 20mph introduced along Cape Hill and its approaches.