On 2 June 2018, a car hit a group of women on the westbound sidewalk of Newborough Avenue at the intersection of Glencoe Close in Riverside. Every single woman was either walking on the sidewalk or pushing a child in a pram. In a split second, a car missed us by inches but one oncoming vehicle hit a woman in her 70s, right on the sidewalk.
The roads in our area have been described by some as the “corridor to nowhere” because of the bad driving conditions. The fact that people continue to drive this way at busy times of the day is a recipe for disaster. A pedestrian crossing out in the middle of the road when the traffic is coming from all directions is the most pedestrian-friendly way to travel and is used all over the world. I went to George Osborne’s speech on extending autobahn speed limits in Westminster and I saw him crossing and getting overtaken a number of times by cars.
Ever since the accident, there is a terrible, painful feeling in the pit of my stomach when I pass through that intersection. When a car slows down and stops, I do not enjoy it, as I know another car is soon coming around the corner and will take the last real wide berth to get past. The impact of the woman being hit has left a gap in the pavement so big that we feel about as safe as a rat without a litter box.
People who live in the area complain about the pedestrian overhangs not being maintained properly on some of the roads, but nothing has been done to work on the accesses to them for pedestrians and the issue of the bumpy pavements and no piped water in the apartments should be more of a priority for those who live here.
Stroll on over to the north pole and you see how good the weather is as everyone is out walking for half an hour in the sunshine. It would be great if someone came down and picked up the pieces at some point but my thoughts now turn towards putting up a sign. Everyone knows to look out for flashing lights in the coming weeks. I wonder if the major parties will hear our pleas and resolve this issue so that people can choose to travel in the safest way and not be put in a dangerous situation.
Cassie Powell, London
• Join the debate – email [email protected]
• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters