Page 4483 - Week 14 - Thursday, 28 November 2013
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set-down arrangements within the school’s grounds. The 40-kilometre-an-hour school zone provided on McBryde Crescent covering the frontage of the school, including the access to the car park and bus zone area, supports these arrangements.
Pedestrian crossing facilities, such as the underpass west of the school near Laurens Street, and the pedestrian refuge island on McBryde Crescent near Bromley Street, were provided previously to enhance the safety of pedestrian and cyclist movement of students of the school and the community at large. Roads ACT is aware that McBryde Crescent experiences concentrated increases in traffic in the morning and afternoon school times. While this is the situation across all schools in the territory, I recognise the genuine concerns that have been raised in regard to Trinity specifically.
The reduced speed limit during school times and supporting infrastructure serves to highlight to all road users that additional care needs to be undertaken when driving near schools. All road users, including the school community, parents and carers have an obligation to obey the road rules and be aware and act with courtesy, particularly near schools. The investigation has considered the schools located on McBryde Crescent—being Erindale College, St Mary MacKillop College and Trinity Christian School.
Comments that were received by Roads ACT as part of the residential street improvement project for Wanniassa have also been considered where they related to McBryde Crescent and/or the schools. I am pleased to advise that Roads ACT has identified a number of improvement options specifically in relation to Trinity Christian School. A school crossing will be provided near Bromley Street. Roads ACT also plans to make changes to parking arrangements on Bromley Street to improve the safety of traffic movements during school pick-up and set-down times. The expectation is to progress this following consultation with affected residents subject, of course, to issues that may be raised during this consultation.
Roads ACT staff have consulted with the principal of Trinity Christian School, who has indicated support for the measures. The expected time line is to implement the measures early in 2014. Roads ACT has considered additional options. These include the provision of a left-turn bay into the school car park on McBryde Crescent and the possible formalisation of parking arrangements for the school off Taverner Street. These are high cost works which will be considered further as potential capital works projects in future programs.
These investigations, improvements and general management of the road network contribute to the ACT’s good road safety record in comparison to other parts of Australia, particularly in relation to traffic and pedestrian safety at schools. A strategic goal of the existing ACT road strategy is to have an ACT community that shares the responsibility for road safety.
Investigations such as these can result in improvements in infrastructure such as signage, line marking or other traffic management facilities. To support such infrastructure, the Justice and Community Safety Directorate and ACT Policing already have ongoing programs covering road safety awareness and enforcement relating to school zones. Schools are also made aware about their role in improving safety through driver behaviour and the behaviour of all road users.
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