Cyclists and pedestrians are playing “Russian roulette” at Derby’s Asda island, a cycle group has warned leaders.
The Derby Cycling Group has written to council chiefs and regional leaders backing a proposed £3.75 million scheme to put more active travel measures in place at the Spondon roundabout, which connects motorists to the A52.
The plan could see traffic lights installed around the island. But the idea was branded by nearby residents as “stupid” earlier this year.
Papers published by the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) in January stated the aims of the scheme would be to “signalise the roundabout to provide greater control of traffic flows and how it operates” and “provide improved connectivity and accessibility by active travel modes (cycling and walking)”.
Bosses say adding traffic lights will reduce bus delays and increase pedestrian and cycle use.
However, residents living nearby believe the roundabout is fine as it is, flows freely, and doesn’t need to be changed. They fear that the lights will make traffic worse near the big supermarket.
One Derby Road resident, who asked not to be named, said in March: “It’s stupid. It doesn’t need any lights.
“All you will get is chaos. It flows perfectly well as it is.”
But Derby Cycling Group, which has been calling for better cycling provision in the city since the late 1970s, says the island is “dangerous” for walkers, cyclists, and disabled people.
However, the group believes signal-controlled crossings can be put around the island without having an impact on traffic flow.
They say any signal controls “will not control vehicle entry” at the roundabout, and the lights will remain continuously green until someone presses a button to cross.
In a report to city and regional leaders, the group said: “We think that the hostile nature of the road crossings on Spondon island is a significant deterrent to active travel through this junction.
“We know the fear of making that journey, whether by walking, wheeling, or cycling; crossing feels like a game of Russian roulette. At busy times, it is unpleasant and unhealthy to have to pick your way between cars and lorries queuing to enter the roundabout, mixing with their exhaust fumes.
“We believe this plan has real potential to make this junction safer, but also, really importantly, to feel safer.”
Earlier this year, Spondon councillor Jonathan Smale (Conservative) claimed the plan was “the wrong approach” and said residents in the community had not been consulted.
But Carmel Swan, Derby City Council’s transport leader (Labour), appeared to play the proposals down in a letter. She said officers were in “the early stages of surveying potential options”
By Nigel Slater, Local Democracy Reporter