Arboretum junction crossing confusion

A maze of pedestrian crossings at Walsall's new-look Arboretum junction is making it almost impossible for people to walk into the town, it was claimed today.

It is said to be time-consuming and confusing for pedestrians. People say they are faced with a series of crossings which are frightening for pensioners and putting shoppers off going into town. Regular walkers claim it can take up to 10 minutes to get from one side of the junction in Lichfield Street to the other because of the lights.

They complain that they are unclear where traffic is coming from because of the new road layout.

Ann French, aged 72, of Leigh Road, just outside the town centre, said it took her seven minutes to get from the Arboretum to the other side of Lichfield Street because there were seven sets of lights.

It then took 10 minutes on the return journey where there were eight lights to get across.

She said: "It is very confusing and a complete nightmare as you are never quite sure which way the traffic is coming from.

"It will stop people wal-king into the town centre as the elderly won't even want to attempt the crossings.

"I usually walk through the Arboretum and into town but I feel uncomfortable trying to do that now."

Her husband John, 70, said: "During the summer holidays many parents take their children to the Arboretum and walk there from the town centre.

"A mother with a pushchair and a couple of children will find it difficult to negotiate this labyrinth."

But Keith Stone, assistant director for the built environment at Walsall Council, said: "Once completed, the current ring road improvements will provide safe pedestrian crossing facilities at all of the junctions along the route.

"Most of these will be signal controlled.

"Prior to this project very few of these junctions had any formal crossing facility at all.

"Crossing facilities at the Arboretum junction are all signal controlled and pro-vide a safe way of crossing a very busy junction."