Rotherham Council reviews pedestrian safety criteria following 'crossing to nowhere'

The safety aid was added over Meadowbank Road, with no housing and only a few small businesses on the south side.

Cllr Simon Currie asked why this location had been chosen for an automated crossing when several schools in the area could not have one.

He said it was “effectively a crossing to nowhere” – while locations used by thousands of pupils had been turned down.

Rotherham Council leader Cllr Chris Read said the Meadowbank Road project had been added to the authority’s capital programme in 2020 after concerns raised by the community.

In assessing the need, RMBC had used the “PV2 ratio”, which Cllr Read said was the “conventional, long-standing national practice at the time”.

This method evaluates the potential conflict between pedestrians and vehicles, meaning locations with high traffic flow were usually prioritised.

The crossing also helped passengers access bus stops and enhanced pedestrian access to the canal footpath, Cllr Read said.

But he added: “After thorough consideration of these factors and adhering to established industry protocols at the time, the decision was made to proceed with the crossing as per council procedures.

“Subsequently, there have been criticisms of the PV2 methodology, supported by a growing body of evidence indicating its limitations in prioritising crossing locations effectively.

“Consequently, the Council has proactively re-evaluated its processes, acknowledging that the PV2 calculation alone is insufficient for prioritisation.

“The revised approach aims to provide a more comprehensive assessment of pedestrian crossing needs, factoring in traffic volume, speed, road width, and the diverse mobility of pedestrians, including schoolchildren.”

Cllr Currie questioned the crossing as a member of the public at a meeting in February, before his election to RMBC as an independent member on May 2.

He welcomed the review of crossing criteria but added: “When £4.6 million of Levelling Up funding is going to improve the stables at Wentworth estate, while our children are dodging cars to get to school, and villages like Scholes can’t even get a 20mph sign, I will always fight the disparities in the funding system created by the Tory government, with our children and families on estates like Kimberworth Park and Hollywood forgotten.”