Page 1396 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 16 April 1991

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MINISTER FOR FINANCE AND URBAN SERVICES

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTION

QUESTION NO 357

School Closures - Traffic Safety Works

Mr Wood - asked the Minister for Finance and Urban Services:

As a result of school closures -

(1) What road works, street markings and signposting or other relevant work has been carried out on roads.

(2) Which roads have been involved.

(3) What has been the cost.

Mr Ruby - the answer to the Members question is as follows:

(1) There has been strong political and community pressure to ensure that a high level of safety is maintained for children using different travel patterns to their new schools. This has made it necessary for the traffic safety measures to provide for all routes taken by children walking to school. The impact of these works is being closely monitored, and comments from the local communities and school users will be taken into account in any further refinement of the works.

The traffic management plans prepared provided appropriate traffic facilities within the suburbs affected by school closures, based on considerable survey work at each location and information gained as a result of the consultation process.

The major hazards which have been addressed are where primary school children are required to cross major distributor or connector roads in residential suburbs. These roads are typically 12 metres to 14 metres wide, carrying 1000 to 2000 vehicles per day and have 85 per cent of the traffic travelling at as much as 15 km/h above the 60 km/h speed limit. The treatments introduced modified these major roads by providing a single traffic lane 3.5 to 4.0 metres wide in each direction, separated by a central refuge median incorporating concrete pedestrian refuge islands, intersection turning lanes and an area for passing stopped or slow vehicles (such as buses) or for turning into driveways.

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