South Gloucestershire Council has launch a public consultation on plans to fill in a pedestrian subway near The Parade on Coniston Road, Patchway, and replace it with a zebra crossing.
The zebra crossing will incorporate a parallel crossing area for cyclists, with both parts sitting on a ‘raised table’ for traffic-calming purposes.
Justifying the need for the scheme, the council says the parapet railings over the subway are in poor condition and “do not provide sufficient containment in the event of a collision”.
A ‘Statement of Reasons’ document also says there is a “history of anti-social behaviour associated with the subway, including graffiti, broken glass and litter”.
There is currently no “continuity of footway” along Coniston Road without going down the ramps or stairs adjacent to the subway and then back up again and a survey of Year 6 pupils at the nearby Consiton Primary School showed that many avoid using the subway because it “is scary” and “it smells”.
Proposed scheme
The proposed scheme involves filling in the subway and providing a parallel crossing on a raised table across Coniston Road at the same location. There will also be a continuous, level footway along the south side of Coniston Road.
Removal of the subway will allow removal of all the parapet railings and pedestrian guard rails in the area which currently provide a barrier to movement for pedestrians and cyclists, but which do not provide a strong enough barrier to vehicles in the event of a collision.
The existing railings along the side of the road will be replaced with bollards.
Parallel crossing
It is proposed to provide a raised parallel crossing across Coniston Road. Parallel crossings enable cyclists to cross a road safely and with the same level of priority that a zebra crossing gives a pedestrian. The crossing looks similar to a zebra crossing but also includes a cycling crossing area which is parallel to the zebra crossing area, this being marked by broken white lines.
E-scooter riders are permitted to use the cycle side of this type of crossing. They are not allowed to use the zebra pedestrian side. All mobility scooters may use the cycle side of the crossing; the slower-speed ones, which don’t require to be road-registered, are allowed on the zebra side too.
Have your say
Residents are being asked to examine the full details of the proposed scheme on the consultation webpage and respond via an online questionnaire.
The closing date for comments is Sunday 20th November 2022.
Timescale
Depending upon the result of the public consultation and advertisement of statutory notices, the council says it hopes to be able to implement the scheme during the 2023/2024 financial year.
Related links
- Map showing location of the subway on Coniston Road (Google Maps)
- Public consultations (The Journal)
