Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council (CGRC), has listened to Gundagai residents who have raised concerns over the lack of a pedestrian crossing in the town’s main street, Sheridan Street, and will recommend to Transport for NSW (TfNSW) a 40km/h High Pedestrian Activity Area (HPAA) for Sheridan Street. CGRC officers, including Council’s Road Safety Officer and Project Engineer for Gundagai’s Main Street, have been studying safe pedestrian approaches and crash data to compile a appropriate plan in response to the public’s request. A motion for a provision of a pedestrian crossing in Sheridan Street was rejected by the local Traffic Committee in June because the proposal does not meet current criteria and present-day guidelines.
The CGRC Officers are now recommending a more comprehensive approach to pedestrian safety in Sheridan Street. The recommendation involves establishing a 40km/h High Pedestrian Activity Area (HPAA) from the West Street Intersection to the Medical Centre. A HPPA is a 40km/h speed limit zone at all times. The lower speed limit makes drivers aware of the presence of pedestrians moving about or near the road. This creates a safer road environment for all road users, particularly for pedestrians, cyclists and children. The safety of 40 km/hr zones around schools is demonstrated that there have been no school aged fatalities in School Safety Zone times since 2013. Research and scientific analysis show that a pedestrian hit by a car travelling at 40 km/h has twice the chance of surviving the collision than if the car was travelling 50 km/h.
Travelling at speeds higher than 40 km/h greatly increases the risk of injury and death to pedestrians. CGRC proposes the HPAA will cover a 900 metre corridor of Sheridan Street, which caters for approximately 12 recognised crossing points along the CBD precinct. The lower speed limit means greater safety for all road users and more peace and quiet for people frequenting the area utilising the town’s alfresco dining facilities. Research shows that risky and non-compliant pedestrian behaviours are widespread and common around pedestrian/zebra crossings. The proposed 40km/h speed limit caters for pedestrians crossing the road at all points of the zones and will improve the safety of vehicles reversing out of parking bays.
The proposal will also reduce the speed of traffic entering and departing Otway Street and the adjoining Mobil Service Station. The HPAA implementation will provide a higher level of safety than any individual pedestrian/zebra crossing could achieve. The HPAA will also ensure that normal traffic flow for larger vehicles, buses in particular, are not inhibited. Pedestrian/zebra crossings will have an impact on their ability to turn in and out of Sheridan Street and can cause traffic build ups at intersections. Furthermore the implementation of a HPAA will ensure the current parking bays outside the town’s retail shops will remain.
TfNSW and Council are strongly focused on pedestrian safety. Both recognise that everyone is a pedestrian at some time and should be able to walk safely. 40 km/h High Pedestrian Activity areas are part of a strategy to reduce the number and severity of crashes. Changing the way streets are used in town centres improves the quality of life. They become places for people, not just traffic. Both the towns of Young and Tumbarumba have successfully introduced 40km/h High Pedestrian Activity Areas. CGRC has requested TfNSW to consider Sheridan St as 40 km/h HPAA as part of NSW Road Safety Plan 2021, with its priority area ‘liveable and safe’ urban communities.
