LETTER: Junctions need an urgent rethink

The A264 junctions need an urgent rethink for people walking and cycling.
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How many people are aware that the five massive new junctions planned for the A264 to accommodate the North Horsham development will have no separate crossings for people walking and cycling?

Even before the planned extra housing, this road carries 45,000 vehicles a day – that’s roughly one per second. Yet at

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the largest of these junctions on Rusper Road, children walking to school will have to cross up to 13 lanes of traffic in no less than five separate stages.

Amazingly, the developers say that not installing proper crossings is ‘more attractive to pedestrians and cyclists’!

As a fallback they have provided some sketchy bridge designs, but these are very poor. They prioritise cars and force people to take long diversions, making them climb unnecessarily: an 11 metre climb takes you well above the roof tops.

Far better designs are possible, but they need to be an integral part of the design – they cannot be ‘tacked on’ afterwards.

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The whole design needs an urgent rethink and if you agree the current plans aren’t good enough you will need to act quickly.

The developers are expected to submit a planning application based on these flawed designs in the next few weeks and HDC will vote on approving the whole plan on 18th March.

Tell Cabinet member [email protected] and your local councillor. You can also contact us: [email protected], visit hdcf.org.uk and follow us @CycleForumHorsh.

RUTH FLETCHER

Horsham District Cycling Forum, Ashleigh Road, Horsham

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