Plans for refuges approved at last

Gosford Council has finally approved plans for three pedestrian refuges on Barrenjoey Rd, between West St and Bourke Rd, Umina, more than two years after originally consiering the request.

Council, at its meeting of February 3, 2004, adopted a traffic committee recommendation to prepare plans and estimates for the provision of three pedestrian refuges on Barrenjoey Rd.

The decision was made following a request from Member for Peats Ms Marie Andrews in December 2003 on behalf of local residents.

Ms Andrews had written on behalf of residents in the Ettalong Beach area who were concerned about the high speeds at which vehicles travelled along Barrenjoey Rd at all hours of the day and night and the necessity for the installation of pedestrian crossings in the vicinity of bus stops and shelters along the busy thoroughfare.

The residents had asked that council "reduce the increasing number of incidents whereby the speed limit is exceeded on Barrenjoey Rd and investigate the provision of pedestrian crossings in the vicinity of bus stops along this busy thoroughfare".

A report from council staff stated that "the provision of traffic calming devices would not be appropriate along Barrenjoey Rd given its length and status as a collector road".

Council later painted edgelines to assist in lowering traffic speeds by narrowing the travel lanes and better defining shared parking/cycle lanes, and also referred the matter to the police for appropriate action.

Council agenda R03.225, March 7