Delays to completion of the two pedestrian crossings in Braidwood are making many residents very cross. Not only are they eyesores, but more importantly dangerous.
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The irony that there were sometime three or four lollypop men employed when contractors were working on the crossings, but young children are left to dash across, has not been lost on residents.
Investigations into the cause of the hold up seems to be a game of buckpassing between Council, the RMS, contractors and Essential Energy.
Cr Garth Morrison was in town on Monday to inspect the crossing at school time. Cr Morrison said, “The delay to the completion of the pedestrian crossings has created and confusing and dangerous situation. The blame game needs to stop. The Mayor needs to do his job. He needs to pick up the phone to the state member and sort this mess out.”
Readers of the Goulburn Post during the week would have been unnerved to read that in Goulburn, “Crossings on Bourke St, Verner St and Union St were removed last Thursday following a recommendation of Goulburn Mulwaree Council’s Traffic Committee. Members considered the zebra crossings to be dangerous as motorists often didn’t stop.”
“Pedestrian Council of Australia chair Harold Scruby has labelled the removal of the City’s pedestrian crossings as “an absolute disgrace”. “This is one of the worst decisions I have heard of in my 16 years on the pedestrian council,” Mr Scruby said last Wednesday.
Palerang General manager Peter Bascomb said on Monday “the delay has been the lighting. Both crossings have to conform to current standards. Unfortunately getting a final compliant design from the contractor was the initial cause of the delay.”
“A compliant lighting design has now been prepared however this has proven to be problematic in that some 11 new poles and lights were needed to achieve it. After scoping this at the site, the theoretical idealistic design could not be constructed due to the presence of overhead powerlines and other obstructions including shop verandas in the areas for their placement.”
“Since this and following more detailed consideration involving RMS a more practical and do-able, but not perfect, layout involving only 3 new poles and utilisation of existing poles has been developed with reference to appropriate codes. This new layout needs to be certified by the accredited designers however before it can be taken forward to the construction stage.
“If we get sign-off on the amended design the next step is to get approval to construct from Essential Energy who will be the asset owner and from RMS regarding road safety aspects. Our constructor will need to submit the application. Once approved the contractor will install all the lighting components” said Mr Bascomb
“Unfortunately we are still some weeks, possibly longer, off having the light installation completed” he added.
The fact remains that Braidwood’s big event of the year, the 20th Annual Quilt Event will be held in less that 2 weeks, along with the Majors Creek Festival over that weekend. Thousands of visitors will be descending on Braidwood and frankly it looks terrible.
Just get on with it.
Alex Rea
