Psalter Lane Crossing
October 2022 Update
A temporary pedestrian crossing has been installed at this junction as part of the Nether Edge Active Travel Neighbourhood and features in a recent Council video.
Psalter Lane divides Nether Edge and Sharrow. It is crossed on a daily basis by hundreds of children and adult pedestrians. Crossing is difficult and dangerous, particularly for children and the elderly. We recently petitioned the council for a pedestrian crossing. We were not the first. In 2018 a similar petition was launched.
Sheffield Council say they cannot install a crossing because 'there's not enough money'.
We note that money appears to be available for big road schemes, such as the £46 million currently being spent to widen the parkway between Rotherham and Sheffield or the £27.4 billion investment in the strategic road network across the country. We're disappointed that money, both nationally and locally, is being spent to increase and aid car travel, when simple and relatively cheap measures to increase the safety of pedestrians are being overlooked.
We are continuing our campaign. Please get in touch if you would like to help this campaign by email or twitter.
Click here to see our petition wording
We the undersigned petition the council to construct a pedestrian crossing on Psalter Lane near Osborne Road and Brincliffe Gardens in order to make pedestrian movement around the communities of Sharrow, Brincliffe and Nether Edge safer, shorter and easier. Accidents involving pedestrians crossing this busy stretch of Psalter Lane have happened and a fatality is only a matter of time. There is only a single existing pedestrian crossing on Psalter Lane between Sharrow Lane and Banner Cross. This is inadequate for the changing demographics of an area where many new family homes are being constructed. Sheffield City Region Active Travel aims to encourage more children to walk, cycle or scoot to school. This ambition is only realistic and feasible if pedestrian routes are made safer and shorter.
Many children and their families cross Psalter Lane on this busy and dangerous section of road, in order to attend local schools, amenities, nurseries and play areas. On the one-mile stretch of Psalter Lane between the Sharrow Lane roundabout and Banner Cross, there is a single pedestrian crossing at Junction Road junction that is already congested, especially during rush hours and school drop off and pick up times. It also represents a 500m diversion for pedestrians coming from Osborne, Brincliffe Gardens, Hunter House, Stetton Gardens and Roach roads. The diversion to the crossing is a significant distance for those on foot, especially for children and disabled residents. People therefore cross this busy section of Psalter Lane opportunistically on a regular basis. An accident involving a pedestrian occurred recently and a fatal accident is simply a matter of time.
In recent years many former student properties in Sharrow have been converted into family homes and new homes have been constructed in Nether Edge and Brincliffe. The single existing crossing is now thoroughly inadequate for local demand, for changing demographics and lifestyles, and for the geography of local housing, amenities and school catchments.
Sheffield City Council has a stated ambition to become zero carbon by 2050 and the Sheffield City Region Active Travel Plan aims to reduce car dependency and to make communities healthier, greener and more pleasant. As part of the SCR Active Travel Plan, children are encouraged to walk, scoot or cycle to school. This is only realistic and feasible if safe routes are created for them. We therefore call upon the Council to help by installing a pedestrian crossing near the Osborne Road junction on Psalter Lane to make local walking routes safer, shorter and easier.
A walk along Psalter Lane on the way to school
To cross Psalter Lane, you have two options: to walk to the nearest crossing (which is usually a long way, as shown in the video) or to try to cross without a dedicated crossing.
This video shows the walk some children take along Psalter Lane to get to the nearest pedestrian crossing.
Media reaction
Article in the The Star: Sheffield Council opt not to introduce crossing on site of accident involving child because 'there's not enough money'
Article in the Examiner Yorkshire Live: Calls for pedestrian crossing on 'dangerous' Sheffield street
Article in the Yorkshire Post: 'Life transforming' pedestrian crossing on busy school route denied despite accident involving child