Guiseley children ‘scared to walk on main roads’ (From Wharfedale Observer)

Guiseley children ‘scared to walk on main roads’

8:56am Thursday 22nd November 2012 in Local news By Annette McIntyre

Guiseley children ‘scared to walk on main roads’

Children in Guiseley are too frightened to walk next to the main roads, it is claimed.

The area’s neighbour-hood forum says fewer people are walking and cycling in the area because the roads are so busy and it described the Guiseley gyratory as a barrier for pedestrians.

The fears of children and their parents were voiced during research carried out by Aireborough Neighbour-hood Forum and Aire-borough Youth Fourm.

Jennifer Kirkby, acting programme manager, said: “One of the findings in the initial Aireborough Neighbourhood Forum research was that people used the car at the weekend, because it was too unpleasant to walk to a lot of the shops.

“Children are actually scared now to walk along the main roads and cross them – that has come from research done by the Aireborough Youth Forum.”  Last week the forum carried out a place awareness walk around the infant school on Oxford Road.

Jennifer said the road was now a “rat run” and that local mothers were warning it was only a matter of time before there was a serious accident.

“We don’t just need a rethink of transport and travel – let alone population in relation to infrastructure – we need to think walkways, and cycleways,” she said.

She added: “People will just not travel on buses until they are reliable, pleasant and value for money – and that is a pipe dream at the moment.”  Aireborough Civic Society chairman Clive Woods said the reliability of bus services using the A65 was being affected by problems at Guiseley gyratory.

He said: “Since changes some months ago, traffic travelling along the A65 from Oxford Road is often blocked by traffic exiting Park Road, when the lights are green, for the A65.

“This means that often only six vehicles can actually cross the junction, compared to 20 from Park Road each time.

“This is affecting all traffic using the A65 and particularly the reliability of bus services 33, 33A, 97, 737 and 966.”