A step in the right direction
This is an area that has had some attention in recent years, getting a concrete protrusion into the street to give pedestrians a better view of the street for safer crossing. It now looks like it's going to get some more attention with a zebra crossing.
Last year I wrote a letter to the council about turning my street into a woonerf. I thought it was a good idea considering how many kids make their way along the street between the kindy and OSHC. My suggestion got a resounding "no" from the mayor. As I wrote soon after getting that reply - I wasn't surprised, but still disappointed.
I've had some time to think about the reply now, and I don't think I quite follow the logic. The letter says that the street doesn't have enough traffic "movements" to warrant undertaking a project to limit the number of cars on the street - even with all the kids making their way between the OSHC and kindy. To me (probably naively), that means that it's therefore a perfect street to try a more Dutch approach to suburban streets.
Oh well.
Today this project was brought to my attention. A zebra crossing on Thornton Street - close to where the kindy. This is an area that has had some attention in recent years, getting a concrete protrusion into the street to give pedestrians a better view of the street for safer crossing. It now looks like it's going to get some more attention with a zebra crossing.
Getting active-transport prioritised infrastructure, even if it's just a single zebra crossing, is good. It's a step in the right direction. Especially since, in South Australia, at least, cars must give way to pedestrians as well as cyclists on zebra crossings. Read all about it on the SAPOL website. Pertinent bit from the document below
You can read the full public details about the plan for the crossing here. The proposed changes to the street are in the PDF report linked at the council page, but also shown below.
I'm optimistic that it starts with a pedestrian crossing and one day ends up a woonerf.
