Ed Hogan, local Caversham resident and Reading Conservatives’ chosen candidate for May 2016’s Borough Council elections, is campaigning for a zebra pedestrian crossing on Gosbrook Road in Caversham.
Ed said “I welcomed the completion of the new Thames pedestrian / cycle bridge. It's great how well used it is, but this has created a marked increase in foot and cycle traffic crossing Gosbrook Road. Local people tell me how difficult they find crossing the road and I think it's vital that the council looks to improve safety here.
"People are attracted to this route to access the bridge via Christchurch Meadow and it is important that the council support safer access."
The petition wording also requests a path safety review, as the northern 200 metres is insufficent for shared usage by cyclists and pedestrians.
Ed Hogan carried out an informal survey earlier this year and having observed the high number of people struggling to cross the busy road, he decided to put together a petition and call on Reading Council to take action. In just a few days Ed has collected over 200 signatures, from both pedestrians and cyclists, and it's now online for all to add their support.
Ed said “Nearly everyone I've met in Caversham thinks this is a great idea, and at times I have had a queue of people wanting to sign. So I am calling on RBC to look carefully at this and take steps to improve the safety of crossing the road as soon as possible.”
Ed will present the petition to Reading Borough Council’s Traffic Management Sub Committee in mid-January.
The new bridge was mostly funded by the Government's Sustainable Transport Fund to encourage more travel by bicycle and on foot.
The online petition can be found here: https://www.change.org/p/reading-borough-council-petition-for-a-crossing-facility-on-gosbrook-road