Caldicot addresses visibility issues with a gray pedestrian crossing after residents voiced safety worries and started a petition.
People signed a petition asking the town to rethink it. Maxine Mitchell spoke for them, saying it’s often invisible. The crossing goes from the shops to Sandy Lane, and the town created it as part of improvements that also included changes to Church Road. It sits opposite the shops and pub.
Now, the town agrees the crossing needs to be clearer. Mitchell is the mayor of Caldicot Town Council, and she says residents constantly complain about it. She wants the town to paint a usual black and white crossing.
Sue Prescott works near the crossing, and she said buses stopping makes things worse. Cars pass the bus and miss seeing people crossing. The petition also wanted parking rules changed near it, as signs alone don’t stop people parking there.
A council member, Sara Burch, said it aimed to help. She apologized that a petition was needed to fix it. Debra Hill-Howells works for the council, and she agrees the gray bricks aren’t obvious.
The town is looking at painting it or using a new surface. They want a solution that lasts, and they plan to do the work quickly. People in Caldicot have different views on the crossing.
Mark Olney said it’s a joke and dangerous. He said it’s in a bad spot by a T-junction. Drivers only see people when they are halfway across. Others worry about its location near the T-junction, as it is very close to another zebra crossing.
Traffic changes make cars wait to turn. One woman uses it daily, and she said you must be careful using it. The lights by the crossing were broken, which happened when the town got the petition, but they have since been fixed.