The council has built another traffic obstacle, this time in Newton Street adjacent to the View Street T intersection - a centre traffic island. Apparently it's supposed to be for safer crossing Newton Street for school kids at Wollondilly PS. Very few school kids from the River Heights area cross Newton Street here. They would have to walk on the wet winter morning grass nature strip in Dixon and Newton Streets (north side) to reach it. Nobody wants wet shoes and feet on a cold winter morning. They usually cross in Dixon Street between View Street and Brendas Drive. The kids are quite well trained by their parents to cross the road safely from what I have seen.
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My understanding is that the council is not proposing to build a footpath - about 70m from Brendas Drive to the new crossing point - until some time in the future when they can get grant funding. Who knows when that will be? It is really essential they build this footpath now, not some future time. If they did it would make this new crossing point more viable for all.
I am really surprised by next week's council meeting papers item 15.20 School Safety Zone Infrastructure reports: "This project has been delayed due to the weather and was completed June 22". Really? Completed? Is the council not proposing to paint the concrete obstacle edges in some noticeable colour or erect permanent warning signs?
It would be preferable to scrap the new concrete traffic island altogether. My neighbours have expressed similar views. At least one vehicle has impacted it already - I noticed shattered witches hats and tyre marks last Tuesday July th at 9:00 (wasn't there Monday July 11 at 17:00). See pic. I suspect a second impact occurred yesterday sometime. The yellow arrow sign in the picture was flattened and crushed.
Encouraging school kids or other pedestrians to cross half way on a road is not good traffic management. They would be better off waiting for clear traffic in both directions like they currently do. The road surface here is good, flat and smooth with no potholes after recent heavy rains (amazing!). It's a shame to disturb it for this traffic island. The council would have been better off spending this money to fix up the dilapidated footpath in Newton Street on the school side. It has been a constant mess of debris from erosion for about 15 years causing trip and slip hazards when walking on it. I have raised this previously with the council but to no avail.
