The Green Party has called on the Council to make Sheffield a Pedestrian Friendly City.
In a motion to next week’s Council meeting Green Councillors have submitted a motion calling on Sheffield to become the UK’s first Pedestrian Friendly City.
Hillsborough Councillor Christine Gilligan-Kubo said,
“If Sheffield becomes a Pedestrian Friendly City, it will have environmental, health and financial benefits for all Sheffielders.
“Everyone is a pedestrian at some point in their journey, even if they catch a bus or drive a car. So we need to make sure that their experience, walking or wheeling, in our city is a good one
“That means pavements that are free of obstructions such as illegally parked cars, bins or digital advertising boards. We also need to ensure that pavements are cleaned and clear of leaves, litter, ice and snow. This is particularly crucial for people with mobility issues, such as wheelchair users, or a visual impairment, or people pushing a pram or buggy. We need to install dropped kerbs at key points on pavements to make access for disabled people easier.
“We can improve safety for pedestrians by having more 20mph zones in residential areas, safer crossing points and introduce low traffic neighbourhoods that prioritise pedestrians over unnecessary access for motor vehicles.
“Making Sheffield a truly Pedestrian Friendly City will require the Council to lead on action across services in terms of investment, enforcement and better working practices”
City Ward Councillor and member of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Committee, Ruth Mersereau, said
“In Sheffield, walking and wheeling is currently made unnecessarily difficult and dangerous by numerous obstructions, obstacles and hazards. As a Council, we urgently need to address this, and properly enforce against obstructive parking and ensure our footpaths and pavements are cleared of obstacles like advertising boards, and hazards like slippery leaves and ice.
“We are also calling South Yorkshire Police and the South Yorkshire Mayor to prioritise and properly fund road safety, and to improve accessibility for pedestrians, including reversing the decision to abandon Operation Parksafe.”
References
Transport Vision | Sheffield City Council
Bad parking crackdown extended after 900 drivers face action
