Four school pedestrian crossing upgrades in Maroubra have been completed. The upgrades include raising two existing pedestrian crossings, installation of pedestrian refuge in two areas, and even a wombat crossing.
The upgrades involve converting pedestrian crossings into raised “wombat” crossings, installing pedestrian refuge islands, and installing signalised intersections at an accident blackspot location on Anzac Parade.
The various pedestrian crossing safety projects, funded under the Federal Stimulus Road Safety Program School Zones project, are situated in 29 locations near local school areas.
In Maroubra, four projects were already completed:
- Loch Maree Street, Maroubra – Raise existing crossing
- Fitzgerald Avenue (at Robey Street), Maroubra – Install pedestrian refuge
- Fitzgerald Avenue (at Walsh Street), Maroubra – Install pedestrian refuge
- Moverly Road, Maroubra – Raise existing pedestrian crossing, create wombat crossing
The pedestrian crossing safety project on Wride Street (at Duncan Street), Maroubra involving the installation of pedestrian refuge is now in its design phase.
Did you know that a study on raised platforms published in the Journal of the Australian College of Road Safety revealed that “wombat” crossings reduce casualty crashes by as much as 63 per cent?
Raised “wombat” crossings are zebra crossings placed on a raised section of the road to allow better visibility of pedestrians and encourage approaching vehicles to reduce speed. The same principle applies to raised pedestrian crossings.
A refuge island, on the other hand, is a median with a refuge section installed to help pedestrians determine when it is already safe to cross the road.
The list of Council’s school pedestrian crossings upgrade projects and their status are as follows:
Status | School area | Location and project |
Completed | Clovelly Public School / St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School | Varna Street (at Arden Street), Clovelly – Install pedestrian refuge |
Completed | Coogee Boy’s Preparatory School / Randwick Coogee Preschool / Randwick Public School | Botany Street (at Waratah Avenue), Randwick – Upgrade existing pedestrian refuge |
Completed | Coogee Public School | Howard Street (near Lee Street), Coogee – Install pedestrian refuge |
Completed | Coogee Public School / Rainbow Public School / Randwick Boy’s High School / Randwick Girl’s High School | Oberon Street & Higgs Street, Coogee – Install pedestrian refuge |
Completed | Emanuel School / St Margaret Mary’s Catholic Primary School | King Street, Randwick- Install pedestrian refuge near Montifiore Randwick (Head Office) |
Completed | Kensington Public School | Bowral Street (near Doncaster Avenue), Kensington – Raise existing crossing |
Completed | Kensington Public School | Bowral Street, (near ANZAC Parade), Kensington – Raise existing crossing |
Completed | Maroubra Junction Public School | Loch Maree Street, Maroubra – Raise existing crossing |
Completed | Our Lady of the Annunciation Primary School / South Sydney High School / Champagnat Catholic College | Sturt Street (west of Paton Street), Kingsford – Install raised pedestrian (wombat) crossing |
Completed | Our Lady of the Annunciation Primary School / South Sydney High School / Champagnat Catholic College | Fitzgerald Avenue (at Robey Street), Maroubra – Install pedestrian refuge |
Completed | Our Lady of the Annunciation Primary School / South Sydney High School / Champagnat Catholic College | Fitzgerald Avenue (at Walsh Street), Maroubra – Install pedestrian refuge |
Completed | Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School and Our Lady of the Rose College | Villiers Street (at Addison Street), Kensington – Install pedestrian refuge |
Completed | Randwick Girls’ High School/ Randwick Boys’ High School | Barker Street West of Easy Street – Pedestrian Refuge |
Completed | Randwick Primary School, Coogee Preparatory Primary School | Church Street (at Frances Street), Randwick – Install pedestrian refuge |
Completed | South Coogee Public School | Rainbow Street (at Hendy Avenue), Coogee – Install pedestrian refuge |
Completed | St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School | Arden Street, Clovelly – Raise existing crossing |
Completed | St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School | Clovelly Road (at Knox Street), Clovelly – Install pedestrian refuge and kerb nibs |
Completed | St Anthony’s Primary School | Arden Street (north of Clovelly Road), Clovelly – Raise existing pedestrian crossing, create wombat crossing |
Completed | St Bridgid’s Catholic Primary School | Arden St & Bream St , Coogee – Pedestrian Refuge |
Completed | St Margaret Mary’s Catholic Primary School | Avoca Street, Randwick – Raise existing crossing |
Completed | The French School (Lycée Condorcet) | Moverly Road, Maroubra – Raise existing pedestrian crossing, create wombat crossing |
Construction Phase | Brigidine College and Claremont Primary School | Perouse Road (at Aeolia Street), Randwick – Raise existing pedestrian crossing, create wombat crossing |
Construction Phase | St Margaret Mary’s Catholic Primary School / Emanuel School | Carter Street (at Avoca Street), Randwick – Install continuous foot |
Construction Phase | St Margaret Mary’s Catholic Primary School / Emanuel School / Randwick Primary School | Clovelly Road (at Centennial Avenue), Randwick – Install pedestrian refuge |
Design Phase | Coogee Public School | Bream Street (at Mount Street), Coogee – Install pedestrian refuge |
Design Phase | Emanuel School | Chepstow Street (at Stanley Street), Coogee – Install pedestrian refuge |
Design Phase | Matraville Sports High School | Anzac Pde at Franklin Street (southern intersections), Matraville – Signalise multi-carriageway intersection |
Design Phase | Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Primary | Dutruc Street (at Alison Road), Randwick – Install pedestrian refuge |
Design Phase | South Coogee Public School | Rainbow Street (at Ellen Street), Coogee – Install pedestrian refuge |
Design Phase | St Margaret Mary’s Catholic Primary School / Emanuel School / Randwick Public School | Gilderthorpe Avenue (at Frenchmans Road), Randwick – Install pedestrian refuge |
Design Phase | St Mary, St Joseph Catholic Primary School / Maroubra Public School | Wride Street (at Duncan Street), Maroubra – Install pedestrian refuge |
Source: Randwick City Council
The $4.365-million project is made possible through a grant awarded to Randwick City Council under the Federal Stimulus Road Safety Program School Zones project. The Australian Government committed a total of $3 billion for the Road Safety Program over three years from 2021 to 2021 and is offered to states and territories to help fast track their lifesaving road safety upgrade projects.
The program is being offered under a “use it or lose it” scheme where states and territories are to use their funding within each six-month tranche for them to receive the full allocation for their next tranche.