A busy crossing in Wokingham has been getting a lot of public attention after the council painted multicoloured leaves on the road's surface. 

Wokingham Borough Council released a statement explaining that the alterations to California Cross are to encourage drivers to move slowly and make the area better for pedestrians

However, since residents became aware of the changes many have expressed their extreme outrage saying that the new markings pose a dangerous and confusing threat to drivers. 

In a recent post to social media, Michelle Hatch wrote the following statement above the shared photographs of the new crossing. 

She said "Thought I’d share this - what do with think? I personally don’t like it and think they should deal with the danger that they have put cars and pedestrians in, although I do think it’s lovely."

Dozens of people commented on the post to air their grievances on the matter. 

One key point raised was that disabled people may struggle with the new markings, as well as autistic people. 

One commenter wrote "I'm concerned for those with visual impairment, and their guide dogs, who absolutely will not have been trained to use this type of crossing. I'm also concerned for autistic individuals, who may struggle to know how to process all of this.

"There are established ways to make roads safer for pedestrians, and this isn't one of them. I'm as keen on a pretty pattern as the next person, but those are for parks, not highways."

Others chimed in to further express their concerns. One point that was raised continuously was that people felt the new crossing was unsafe for drivers. 

One person said "It looks so confusing. Is it a roundabout, a crossing or some sort of playground already?  Not a good idea."

In agreement with the previous comment, another person said "Improvements? Did you mean incoherent road markings not found in the highway code? Is WBC accepting liability for accidents given the nonsensical markings?"

A further person wrote "It’s irregular and confusing and absolutely doesn’t appear in the Highway Code or in the DVSA official road markings guide."

Wokingham Borough Council has responded to these concerns and released a statement highlighting their aims. 

Executive member for Active Travel, Transport and Highways Cllr Paul Fishwick said: “The California Crossroads improvement works are making the area a more pleasant place village centre environment for pedestrians and cyclists while keeping the traffic moving."

He went on to say that where there were once mini roundabouts and a lot of confusing and unsightly clutter, the junction now features a vibrant display of brightly coloured leaves.

The pedestrian crossings are also clearly marked with a striking large white leaf pattern, complemented by smaller coloured leaves on the approaches. 

He continued: "Of course, pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders need to be sensible as well, but the idea that the ‘car is king’ is outdated and no longer true.”