Drivers slam road makeover as council spends £5.5million to paint leaves over a roundabout - 'So deadly!'

Drivers slam road makeover as council spends £5.5million to paint leaves over a roundabout - 'So deadly!'

WATCH: Drivers slam road makeover as councils spends £5.5m on bizarre road markings

GB NEWS
Felix Reeves

By Felix Reeves


Published: 27/01/2025

- 10:19

Updated: 28/01/2025

- 16:29

A petition with almost 1,500 signatures has called on the council to implement standard road markings

Motorists have taken aim at a new junction redesign which cost £5.5million amid claims it looks like a "playground" and could distract motorists from focusing on the road ahead.

The California Crossroads Improvement Project was undertaken by Wokingham Borough Council in Berkshire and saw the redesign of a "key junction" in the town.


As part of the redevelopment, a "refreshing transformation" can now be seen with white leaves replacing traditional, thick white lines at crossings across the road.

The road is also emblazoned with multicoloured leaves where a mini roundabout was previously seen, which has prompted ire from local councillors and drivers.

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Wokingham Borough Council's redesign of the California Crossing The redesign of the California Crossing has been slammed by local residents WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL
Wokingham Borough Council's redesign of the California Crossing

A petition has been launched for the area to be repainted

WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL

The redesign, which took place between February and September last year, aims to make the area more accessible for pedestrians with a non-standardised view of how road markings are usually seen.

Wokingham Borough Council first outlined the plans 10 years ago, saying that the California Cross could deliver "an attractive environment and a vibrant and viable local centre at the heart of the community".

The council has acknowledged that the construction has caused "some concerns and frustrations", but maintained that the new layout will provide benefits for the area.

Raised tables have also been added on all four arms leading to the junction in a bid to improve pedestrian safety and encourage vehicles to drive slower.

Wokingham Borough Council's redesign of the California Crossing

The redesign cost an estimated £5.5million

WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL

The council reminded all road users that standard Highway Code rules apply despite the new design of the road markings.

In response, Peter Harper, a Conservative councillor representing Finchampstead, launched a petition saying that the road markings, which do not align with those included in the Highway Code, are "causing confusion amongst drivers and pedestrians".

He added: "The inclusion of raised platforms was to slow traffic on the approach to the junction but these are too low to be effective, allowing cars to negotiate the junction at high speed."

The petition calls for Wokingham Borough Council to paint traditional roundabouts and zebra crossings on the junction, as well as raising the speed bumps to have a proper impact on the speed of traffic.

Wokingham Borough Council's redesign of the California Crossing

The council has called on drivers to adhere to the Highway Code

WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL

The petition has received almost 1,500 signatures, with Harper noting that the issue would be discussed at the next meeting of the Wokingham Borough committee responsible for roads.

The road markings have been met with intense backlash on social media, with local drivers fuming on Facebook that the council had gone ahead with the £5.5million redevelopment.

One concerned resident said: "Looks like a playground!! So deadly for children who are going to think they can play in the road."

Another added: "And you are proud of this? Turning a busy road junction (that largely worked) into a children’s playground.

"It is total carnage, cars and lorries driving straight across any which way they feel like. Heaven help anyone 'passing through' or new to the area. An accident waiting to happen."

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

Wokingham Borough Council's redesign of the California Crossing

The scheme meets the Department for Transport's specifications for road markings

WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL

In a statement to GB News, Councillor Martin Alder, executive member for active travel, transport and highways, said: “Keeping everyone safe is our top priority, however they get around, and this approach has already improved safety at many other locations including Poynton in Cheshire, Coventry city centre and Ponders End in north London.

"In those cases, vehicles have been shown to move more slowly through the junction than in a traditional layout. We’re seeing similar behaviour at California Cross, as we expected, and the police haven’t reported any accidents where people were injured. This scheme was funded by developers building new homes in the area and included significant structural improvements, which addressed a long-standing flooding problem by improving drainage. It would be highly misleading to imply that the money simply covered repainting the carriageway, as some have suggested.

"The Department for Transport guidelines are clear that, in designing schemes like this, an informal crossing can be marked out in colours and patterns, as long as it can’t be mistaken for a formal crossing where pedestrians have priority over traffic. They also say that road junctions don’t have to be designed around technical standards alone, as this can prevent them from achieving wider goals. In fact, they explicitly say that an 'imaginative' design can be very safe when its specific surroundings are taken into account.

"In the case of California Cross, we set out to create a pleasant, safe environment with a stronger sense of sense of identity as a treasured and well-used village centre, while slowing traffic down and making drivers more aware of pedestrians. All the evidence shows that we are achieving that- and we’re proud to have improved this area for everyone who lives near or passes through it."

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