Who cares about residents living in the Ortons? - LETTER

Not only for weeks, months but years have residents (and visitors) seen any effort to (1) cleanse the unwanted and unsightly graffiti from street furniture along both footpaths and cycleways. This blight is obvious to all who use the busy pathways alongside the Longueville Woods!!

Who really cares?

The second concern is to the safety of residents and visitors who use these foot/cyclepaths in and around these townships. Regular observations (and near misses) of cyclists who speed to and from the Orton Centre via the main path from neighbouring townships through the junction at the rear of The Maples residential home.

Cyclists regularly speed through this junction without looking for oncoming ‘traffic’, - parents with very young children, other cyclists and pedestrians, many of whom are elderly and unable to take avoiding action when they are unable to see (no lights on cycles) or hear (no bells), or perhaps are handicapped.

The numerous outlets within the Orton Centre, shops, sports centre, library and medical centre and school create a vast amount of traffic.

It has been observed that many cyclists are hooded which restricts their visibility, whilst others prefer to ride hands free. With no community policing these dangerous habits remain unchecked and put both pedestrians and other users at considerable risk and emphasise the urgent need for the introduction of chicanes to be sited at this junction.

When residents see chicanes sited at the short footpaths within the Orton townships of Goldhay and Waterville, paths that are very rarely used and are less likely to cause problems it brings the urgency of chicanes to be sited at the crossroads behind The Maples residential home.

Orton resident

(Name and address supplied)