Hundreds sign petition to make Hove road safer for school children
Hundreds of people have supported a mother’s petition to reduce the speed limit and add crossings to a busy road.
A crash at the crossroads where Shirley Drive and The Droveway meet in Hove
Despite more than 500 people signing a petition calling for road safety measures in Shirley Drive, in Hove, the petition organiser Polly Wrenn is frustrated because council policy means that any change looks unlikely.
Mrs Wrenn started her petition after three accidents in eight weeks at the corner of Shirley Drive and The Droveway.
She said: “There are just accidents that I happen to know about because I was at home at the time. There may have been more.”
She said that Brighton and Hove City Council officials had told her that Shirley Drive was not a priority for a 20mph speed limit and crossings because there was no “recorded history of injury”.
Mrs Wrenn said: “In other words, someone has to be seriously injured before the council will act, despite the numerous accidents and the request of hundreds of residents.
“Having to wait for someone to get injured is a terrible prospect for our community.”
Her two sons have to cross the road twice a day on their way to and from school.
There are four primary schools – Aldrington, the Bilingual Primary School, Cottesmore St Mary and Lancing College Prep – in the area, while the local secondary schools include Blatchington Mill, Hove Park and Cardinal Newman.
Hove Recreation Ground and Hove Park also attract people on foot who cross the busy road.
The residential road has a 30mph speed limit which comes into effect at the junction with Old Shoreham Road.
In contrast, there are eight pedestrian crossings from the seafront up Grand Avenue and The Drive – but none once the road becomes Shirley Drive.
The petition is on the 38 Degrees website.
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Drivers speed along Shirley Drive – way over 30 mph
Wow, if only Labour and Conservative councillors hadn’t recently voted to throw away hundreds of thousands of pounds of government money for walking and cycling improvements because a few people threw a tantrum about a bike lane.
If you lived in Brighton or Hove Squidgie you would know this junction and speeding has nothing to do with the OSR cult cyclist lanes you and your Green goons love.
Bless you for trying with your political points though.
One day you will grow up.
Does, that now! Mean, these same people, will walk their children to school? Instead of driving a short distance. I do hope so.
Yep same issue at the woodruff av junction on Shirley drive , not sure what the issue is but I’ve seen a couple of write offs and countless near misses of both cars and pedestrians this year alone