Broad Lane is an accident waiting to happen according to residents in Eastern Green, Coventry. Members of the Mount Nod Residents Association and Limbrick Wood Baptist Church have warned that the speed of vehicles is making it virtually impossible to cross the road safely.
They’re particularly worried about the junction with Jardine Crescent and have recruited the help of Woodlands ward Councillor, Julia Lepoidevin. Now she's collecting a petition that has 160 signatures already, which she'll present to the Council. The petition calls on the Council to install a pedestrian crossing at the junction and explore the feasibility of other safety measures along Broad Lane.
Local campaigners have been working with West Midlands Police to build up evidence of the problem through the community speedwatch initiative. Over three sessions volunteers recorded more than 100 vehicles exceeding the 30mph speed limit. The highest speed recorded was 49mph with average speed varying from 35- 39mph in each session.
Commenting on the situation Darren, who is a minister at Limbrick Wood Baptist Church, is backing the campaign and said; “It has been brought to my attention by both the young and old members of our community just how dangerous this junction is. Many say they feel like they are taking their lives in their hands to cross this road, and especially for drivers turning right out of Eastern Green Road onto Broad Lane. I personally have had numerous near misses with speeding drivers.”
Backing the residents, Cllr Julia Lepoidevin said; “This stretch of road is really dangerous and we need to take action before there’s a serious incident. This isn’t just heresy and speculation, thanks to the residents who’ve taken part in the speedwatch initiative we can put forward strong evidence to back up the case for action. People are really worried about this situation and we’ll be keeping the pressure on the Council to take urgent action.”
We recently outlined our plans to invest £750,000 on road safety measures across the city. Full details are available in our manifesto elsewhere on our website.
Anyone wishing to sign the petition can do so online at www.coventry.gov.uk/petitions or by visiting the Serene Coffee Lounge in Alderminster Road or 'The Local' on Broad Lane.