A pedestrian crossing point has been introduced outside Howard Street Nursery and Family Hub.
The new crossing is part of an ambitious plan to eliminate road deaths and life changing injuries across Greater Manchester by 2040.
The new crossing, in Central Rochdale was recently unveiled following a successful funding bid to the Vision Zero Innovation Fund, administered by the Safer Roads Greater Manchester Partnership.
The fund was established last year after Greater Manchester formally adopted Vision Zero, a strategy adopted by countries and cities worldwide to reduce road deaths and life-changing injuries to zero.
In Greater Manchester, the region is aiming to halve the number of casualties by 2030 and achieve zero road deaths and serious injuries by 2040.
The Howard Street crossing is just the latest to be unveiled in Rochdale borough over the past year. Those completed previously include one at St Mary’s Gate, close to Rochdale town centre, in Shawclough Road, close to Healey Dell, in Oldham Road, Middleton and across all 4 arms of the junction of Roch Valley Way, Bury Road and Sandy Lane.
While the other crossings are not part of the Vision Zero project, they have created a substantial safety boost across the borough.
Councillor Shah Wazir, cabinet member for Highways at Rochdale Borough Council, said:
“I’m delighted to have seen this new crossing, which I know the school and nursery have also been very keen to see. We need to make it as easy as possible for people to make healthier travel choices and this is particularly vital in the case of children and their parents and carers, who will derive huge health benefits from walking and wheeling to school and nursery wherever possible.”
Former executive head of Greenbank Primary School and the Howard Street nursery, Sandra Hartley, said:
“I was really pleased to come back and see the new crossing, as it’s something we had been working with the council to get delivered. This is a high traffic area, so it’s great to see something which will improve safety and make a real difference for our children and their parents and carers.”