Folk living in Bracondale in Norwich start traffic audit

Now it has become one of the city’s most monitored streets after neighbours living in Bracondale joined forces to gather intel on passing motorists, cyclists and walkers.

Members of Bracondale Residents Association (BRA) are taking shifts to survey vehicles using the “potentially lethal” road in an effort to make it safer. 

They even borrowed a traffic monitoring kit from Norfolk County Council to carry out their task earlier this year and will pass on all the information they gather to the authority.

The King Street junction lights cause problems with queuing traffic for large portions of the day (Image: Sonya Duncan)

City Councillor Carli Harper is in full support of the community-minded city folk warning that if changes are not made to the road soon there could be a fatality.

She said: "The BRA is very active and I hope to help organise further monitoring of the road and pavements in the coming weeks.

"I have been receiving huge numbers of complaints from those living in Bracondale, King Street and the surrounding roads.

"We can't wait until there is a fatality - which is what I most fear."

Cllr Carli Harper (Image: Denise Bradley)

Amanda Howe, who is a committee member of the BRA, added: "We are spending periods of an hour observing the road at different points to record the number of bikes or scooters on the pavements; traffic jams; pedestrian issues; and anything else deemed relevant.

"Feedback already confirms difficulties crossing at many points, particularly for the elderly and less mobile, or people with children. And the slow transit of vehicles is notable.

"The sign over the first five days of activity counted 32,259 vehicles heading down the hill, with a top speed of 55mph on June 25 at 5.50am.

"There were plenty of others at more than 40mph."

Parts of Bracondale are three lanes wide - with no pedestrian crossings (Image: Google)

Earlier this week, it was revealed that leaders at Norfolk County Council have tasked officers with carrying out a feasibility study into the possibility of a new crossing on Bracondale.

The specific area of concern is a lack of pedestrians crossing at the King Street junction.

Jamie Osborn, Green county councillor for Mancroft division, said: "Dangerous driving on Bracondale, Ber Street and King Street is putting lives at risk.

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"This is made worse by the lack of adequate pedestrian crossings.

Norfolk County Council is also conducting a survey (Image: Sonya Duncan)

"And where crossings do exist, for example at the junction of King Street and Bracondale, they actually make it more dangerous due to the timings of the lights.

"Bracondale is a key road in the city and carries a national cycle route, but currently it is potentially lethal.

"Investing in making it safe for all must be a priority."

Green Party councillor Jamie Osborn (Image: Denise Bradley, Newsquest) A spokesperson for Norfolk County Council has confirmed that they are currently undertaking a feasibility study for the King Street and Bracondale junction.

However, the results of this are not expected until next year.