Two pedestrian crossings along Queen Street, St Marys will be redesigned after the Federal Government granted Penrith City Council $200,000 to upgrade the currently dangerous intersections.
The pedestrian crossing at the corner of Chapel Street and Queen Street, as well as the crossing in front of the public library on Queen Street, will be raised above ground level in order to slow down traffic and provide a safer passage for pedestrians.
Council’s Traffic Engineer, David Drozd, said that after looking at data from the Roads and Maritime Services, it was clear that an upgrade had to occur.
“There were three reported accidents at the Chapel and Queen Street intersection, involving cars and pedestrians, but many more have gone unreported,” he said.
Mr Drozd said that Council has already begun the design process for the street, including additional fencing and landscaping.
“We plan to spend $90,000 on each crossing and then the $20,000 left over will go towards fencing that will stop pedestrians crossing in dangerous places as well as some low rise landscaping.”
Mayor, Greg Davies, said that he believed the raised crossings are the most viable option to keep the street safe for pedestrians.
“We have previously looked at putting a pedestrian median strip in Chapel Street but it is not wide enough… it also fits into a broader program of upgrades to St Marys, not dissimilar to those that have been recently carried out in the Penrith CBD,” he said.
MP for Lindsay, David Bradbury, said that he was glad the funding could be provided under the Black Spot Program in this year’s budget.
“It is a very important program and I am glad that we have continued to secure funding in the Budget. What I love about St Marys is the wide footpaths. We want it to be pedestrian friendly and we want people moving up and down the street by foot so these improvements are essential.”
With planning already well underway, the upgrades could be completed as early as September this year.
