Ministerial Statement: Main Roads Minister to investigate Gracemere ...

[ozbob]

Minister for Main Roads
The Honourable Craig Wallace
23/04/2009

Main Roads Minister to investigate Gracemere pedestrian concerns

Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace has sought a briefing from his department on the removal of a pedestrian crossing in Gracemere following issues raised by members of the local community.

Mr Wallace said he had been following recent media reports about community members concerned about pedestrian safety in the Lawrie Street shopping precinct.

"My number one priority is the safety of all road users," Mr Wallace said.

"I have been advised by the department that due to Gracemere's rapid growth and with more than 10,000 vehicles per day using Lawrie Street, the safety of both pedestrians and motorists was becoming an increasing concern.

"I understand there have been five accidents on this section of Lawrie Street in the past five years, and four out of five of these a ccidents were nose-to-tail when vehicles stopped for pedestrians.

"The department has advised the works undertaken as part of the Lawrie Street upgrade were necessary to provide a safer corridor for both motorists and pedestrians.

"As part of an upgrade on the street, the pedestrian crossing was replaced with a pedestrian refuge and new signs have been installed advising people to only cross when the road is clear.

"But it's important we get the balance right - looking after both the safety of pedestrians and the motorists that use Lawrie Street.

"I want to meet with the department to find out if there is anything more that we can do to improve safety for both pedestrians and motorists along this section of road."

[Jon Bryant]

This is outrageous.  There is no way that replacing the pedestrian crossing with a pedestrian refuge and new signs advising people to only cross when the road is clear is safer.  The pedestrian has not right of way and must run between moving vehicles.   

The removal of pedestrian crossings across our cities is a tragedy and has contributed heavily to the "car is right and might" culture we have created. The "Turn Left with Care" slip laines at major intersections are the other major contributer.  The third culprit is the roundabout.  We have slowly but surely created a city where the car is King and the pedestrian (not to mention cyclists) are seen as a problem to control.  And we wonder why people speed. In South Brisbane and other busy pedestrian traffic areas they are errecting fences along the footpaths so cars do not have to worry about those pesky pedestrians interferring with their speeding.  Pedestrians are being treated like cattle.  It is horrible and must be stopped 

It is time we built roads equally for people, cyclists, parked cars and moving cars not just to keep traffic moving as fats as possible.

[O_128]

Ive always wished that one day all of the city street are narrowed to one lane for service vehicles so that footpaths can be widened