By Dominique Tassell
Warwick CBD will see zebra crossings for pedestrians in the future.
Southern Downs Regional Council moved a motion to adopt the Department of Transport and Main Roads’ (DTMR) recommendation at the recent Ordinary Council Meeting.
Raised zebra crossings will be installed at each leg of the roundabout at the intersections of:
• Palmerin Street/Fitzroy Street
• Guy Street/Fitzroy Street
• Guy Street/Grafton Street
• Guy Street/Percy Street
• Palmerin Street/Percy Street
Non-raised zebra crossings will also be installed at:
• Palmerin Street (Town Hall/Rose City Shoppingworld)
• Grafton Street (Rose City Shoppingworld to Acacia Avenue Carpark)
• Palmerin Street (Southern Downs Realty to ANZ Bank/Condamine Sports Club)
• King Street, near Palmerin Street
SDRC will utilise current grant funding to complete works on non-roundabout crossings with any remaining funds used to progress roundabout crossings.
They will also apply for grant funding to complete all works at roundabout crossings.
When asked if they thought yet another change to the CBD road rules, with pedestrians now having right of way at the crossings, would cause more confusion, Mayor Vic Pennisi stated “time heals all”.
Chief executive Dave Burges said, “the pedestrian crossings are really clear”.
“People know the rules. If you’ve got black and white stripes, the cars give way.
“So, once we get to that point, I think the confusion will mostly dissipate.”
Mr Burges stated that they will be letting people know what they are doing and when they are doing it.
Andrew Gale stated during an interview on Rose City FM that “everyone knows what’s a zebra crossing is, and they know it’s a safe place for pedestrians to cross”.
He encouraged people to use the crossings instead of crossing elsewhere in the CBD.
He stated that the options approved by SDRC is the middle ground of the options.
Cr Gale said the cheapest option was to leave it as is, but that was “never an option for him”.
He said this and Leslie Dam “led him to be in this seat”.
Previously, locals have expressed concerns over changing conditions in Warwick CBD.
New 40 kilometres per hour regulatory speed signs were installed in Warwick’s CBD on Tuesday 20 July, with limited notice given to the community.
Later, signs were installed at crossings stating pedestrians must give way.
Earlier this year, locals pointed out that the signage did not seem to be consistent throughout the CBD, and that signs had been removed from one side of the road but not the other.
