SCHOOL representatives and a parish priest are angry that Council has removed three pedestrian crossings without consultation.
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On Thursday and Friday workers removed two crossings at the intersection of Bourke and Verner Streets and another on Union St used by Goulburn North Public School students.
Council says the children’s crossing will remain, but devoid of painted lines.
A council spokesman said they were taken out following a traffic committee recommendation. Members considered them to be dangerous because motorists often didn’t stop.
The Road and Maritime Services (RMS) representative also advised that research has shown pedestrian refuges and kerb extensions were safer than pedestrian crossings.
That hasn’t appeased the School’s Parents and Citizens Association.
President Tennille Campbell said members and teachers were not impressed.
“It’s such a busy road and cars don’t slow down as it is,” she said.
“The Associations and teachers don’t understand why they would take any crossing away.”
She said while traffic controllers were there morning and afternoon when children were arriving at and leaving school, students used the crossing at other times for sport and visiting the nearby nursing home.
There are static signs but no flashing lights signalling the reduced 40km/h speed limit in the area.
“Any help we can get to slow cars down is a good thing so it’s very disappointing they’ve taken this away,” Ms Campbell said.
Mary Queen of Apostles parish priest Fr Dermid McDermott will formally complain to Council.
“We were not consulted but I’m not surprised,” he said.
“I find the reasoning to be very bureaucratic and convoluted but we live in an age of stupidity.
“Nothing surprises me anymore.” In contrast, the parish was consulted last year when a police representative on the traffic committee questioned the Verner St crossing’s safety.
At that time, the parish opposed the move.
Fr McDermott said on Friday the pedestrian crossing was the safest way to traverse the road.
Council argues the intersections already have kerb extensions and median islands, which will allow a pedestrian to choose a gap in the traffic and to cross a shorter width of road, one traffic stream at a time.
“This is considered a safer option than having the pedestrian step out into traffic in the expectation that drivers will be aware of their presence and be able to stop for them,” a spokesman said.
The matter arose at the traffic committee following a letter from a Sts Peter and Paul’s Old Cathedral parishioner.
“I request that the crossing be clearly marked by painted zig zag lines on the asphalt leading up to the crossing and by appropriate signage,” she wrote.
“I, together with many parishioners and members of the public going about their business, use this crossing regularly. The majority of vehicles do not stop!”
Instead, the committee assessed safety at Goulburn’s three remaining pedestrian crossings and recommended their removal.
The RMS furnished information saying that if a driver made a mistake, it usually resulted in death or injury.
Crash records for the Southern Region showed that in the last 10 years, eight crashes had been recorded at zebra crossings. They resulted in two deaths and seven people injured.
“This is a fatal crash rate of 25 per cent at zebra crossings, compared to a fatal crash rate of six per cent for all pedestrian crashes,” the RMS stated.
“Therefore, if you are a pedestrian involved in a collision you are four times more likely to be killed on a pedestrian crossing than elsewhere on the road network.”