FAMILIES ARE safer on Silverdale Road now, said Cllr Andrew Mickleburgh.
It comes as a few days after submitting a petition to improve pedestrian and road safety outside Loddon School, action was taken.
Cllr Mickleburgh said the borough council extended the single yellow lines on both sides of the road, which has vastly improved the safety of parents and children crossing the road.
“The petition was almost immediately redundant,” he said. “Before the lines were extended, cars parking legally were obstructing the sightlines. It was demonstrably dangerous.”
He said the road was becoming unsafe, as drivers parked, pulled out and buses travelled along the route.
“It was a simple and effective solution,” he said.
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport at the borough council, said the lines were used to stop unsafe and obstructive parking behaviour by parents at the start and end of the school day.
The councillor says he has a specific focus on traffic and parking in his role at Earley Town Council.
“The borough council has followed it up with patrols from parking enforcement officers, who have been helping to ensure people are complying,” he added.
But the councillor is calling for further improvements.
“In about June last year, Earley Town Council submitted a proposal for changes to speed limits on quite a number of roads,” he said.
This includes Silverdale Road, which the council would like to see become a 20mph zone.
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It already has two sections that are 20mph, and the road directly outside the school has a variable speed limit, dropping from 30mph to 20mph during the start and end of the school day.
He said the town council is pushing to find out the status of this request.
Cllr Jorgensen said the change of speed limit is being considered.
She added: “We continue to work on this with Thames Valley Police, which is responsible for enforcing speed limits on proposed changes on A and B roads in Wokingham borough.”
Cllr Tahir Maher, Liberal Democrat councillor for Maiden Erlegh thanked Cllr Mickleburgh for all he has done.
“I totally support his efforts,” he said.
The councillor said he is also pushing for repairs further up Silverdale Road, between Sevenoaks Road and Allendale Road, as well as a zebra crossing used by school children.
He added: “So far, the response hasn’t been positive, from Wokingham Borough Council but we feel it’s very important to continue to pursue this matter.”
