ePetition details

OBJECTION TO ZEBRA CROSSING ON BELL LANE

We the undersigned petition the council to not place a zebra-crossing outside 100 Bell Lane. This e-petition works in conjunction with and is in addition to a petition to be submitted by the 20th December 2018. The main concern is the impact that this proposal will have on the elderly and infirm in their ability to access their homes with ease. The scheme and consequent restrictions such as the removal of 10 parking spaces used on a constant basis will have a devastating effect on residents' families, shoppers, business owners, advice centres and their patrons. The signatories ask the council to seek alternative measures of road calming to keep all pedestrians crossing the road safe.

1. The proposed location was not the preferred one by the council. Their first choice was much further up the street and the proposal was defeated on a technicality.

2. According to the Council's research the major area of accidents (2010-2016) was with cars crossing from Alexandra Road toward Green Lane. The proposed location will have no impact on that area of concern.

3. The research also showed that there have been NO pedestrian accidents on Bell Lane. We believe that the council's attempt to safeguard pedestrians will actually endanger them by the fact that the proposed crossing is extremely close to an unsighted bend on a junction with Green Lane. Drivers from Green Lane will always be looking right for oncoming traffic and rush into Bell Lane at the first opportunity to find themselves almost immediately on top of the proposed crossing. It will only be a matter of time before a motorist, accelerating out of the bend, will not see the crossing in time, causing injuries to schoolchildren, the elderly and other pedestrians.

4. Presently, pedestrians and children are attuned to the risks of crossing Bell Lane. The safety risk is worsened for people crossing, since pedestrians and children cross with a high degree of awareness and with the implementation of a zebra-crossing, children will lose that awareness, seeing the zebra as their right of way, putting their lives in danger.

5. The emptiness created by the disappearance of any cars parked at any time between 86-102 Bell Lane and on the opposite side, will only encourage motorists to drive faster. As any driving instructor would say, 'parked cars are natural speed calmers'.

6. Cars in and out from adjacent driveways will block sight-lines and endanger pedestrians using the crossing.

6. The proposal will add enormous pressure on residents in an already congested and competitive area for short term and overnight parking.

7. The new parking restrictions would affect ease of access for Dial-A-Ride and hospital drop-offs and pick-ups for residents with mobility issues who would have to park/stop far away from their home destinations.

8. We ask Barnet Council to research alternative traffic-calming solutions as with all other schools in the area; measures such as, roundabouts, speed-bumps, speed-limit lights, islands and lollipop stewards which would not disrupt or inconvenience residents, shoppers, businesses and services as would the placing of a zebra-crossing.

It is unnecessary to eliminate 10 parking spaces 24 hours a day when there are 175 non-school days in a year and viable alternative solutions as used in every other school in the vicinity.

This ePetition ran from 11/12/2018 to 20/12/2018 and has now finished.

192 people signed this ePetition.