Residents in Old Portsmouth now have a safer trip to school after the installation of a new zebra crossing on its High Street.
The crossing, which was installed last month, provides safer, more accessible journeys for everyone living and walking and wheeling through the area. Located near the entrance to Peacock Lane, the crossing lies on a raised table – a continuous footway which spans the road and helps to slow vehicles moving along High Street, providing a safer way to cross.
This will be a great help to parents, carers and children heading to school at Portsmouth Grammar School and the nearby St Jude’s C of E Primary School, said the council.
To mark national Walk to School Week, St Jude’s school has been celebrating three months since the introduction of its School Street. The scheme makes the area near the school gate safer for families travelling to and from the school by restricting vehicle movement on Penny Street, St Nicholas Street, Pembroke Close, and Peacock Lane during drop-off and pick-up times, and providing a sustainable and more pleasant environment for walking and wheeling.
The zebra crossing enables parents to safely park and stride from the west side of High Street to reach their School Street zone, by parking a short distance from the school and walking or wheeling the rest of the way.
Cllr Peter Candlish, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to bring this essential crossing to High Street, which benefits families walking to school and helps to provide a safer, more pleasant environment for people living in and travelling through the area.”
Walk to School Week is a national campaign which promotes active travel to school and highlights the benefits of improved health and cleaner air.
The zebra crossing is just one of the improvements to enhance road safety in Old Portsmouth. The recent Shipwright’s Way improvements, which completed early last year, introduced safer walking routes around the Square Tower, including traffic calming measures and a wider footpath. Work recently began on another raised table crossing in Broad Street, close to the junction with Feltham Row.
PIC-PORTSMOUTH CC
