Seems a nesting pigeon held up the opening of a new zebra crossing in Monksdale Road.
The new crossing connects Moorfields Sandpits Park with the nearby cycle path, which is part of the Bath Two Tunnels route and National Cycle Network. The crossing has replaced an existing dropped kerb crossing point and now provides a safer and more accessible place for people walking and wheeling to cross. This scheme is part of the council’s ongoing programme of local active travel improvements.
Works to install the crossing were completed in June; however, the discovery of a nesting pigeon meant Bath & North East Somerset Council could not trim a nearby tree to improve the visibility of a crossing beacon light without disturbing the bird.
The council monitored the pigeon to ensure it had left the tree before resuming works. Wild birds, their eggs and nests are protected by law.
Councillor Lucy Hodge, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport Delivery, said: “Schemes like this provide real benefits for the local community and help make journeys safer, particularly for children walking to nearby schools. This new crossing is part of an ambitious programme of improvement works we’re delivering across Bath & North East Somerset.”
“We actively work to protect wildlife and apologise that the crossing could not be opened as planned.”
Elsewhere, the council is currently carrying out works at A4 Newbridge Road, installing a new toucan crossing alongside other pedestrian and cyclist safety improvements.
The correct name of the route is the ‘Two Tunnels Greenway’.
This delay is as nothing compared to the 12 years it took to get the proposed zebra crossing built across Lansdown Road near the top of Guinea Lane, during which time families had to dodge what was then officially 30 mph traffic to get their children to and from school, or keep them safe and use the car. Even to the end the council dragged its feet, saying (incorrectly) that the work couldn’t start because of the purdah period before elections, and then had to be delayed several weeks because of one day when there was heavy traffic relating to the funeral of a victim of the Lansdown Lane runaway lorry. It would be hard to think of an excuse in poorer taste than the latter. (In reality the delay was because all the workers were busy on another project that had overrun.)