Dear Mrs Irwin,

Thank you for your letter of 17 September 2008 about pedestrian safety on Gorge Road in the vicinity of St Ignatius campus, Athelstone.

I advise that guidelines within Australian Standards are used by all state road authorities throughout Australia as a basis to determine the need for a pedestrian crossing. This enables the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure (DTEI) to prioritise work and ensure the equitable allocation of funds across the entire road network.

In South Australia, approval for the installation of pedestrian actuated (push button) crossings is provided in a code that sets out the requirements for the use of traffic control devices. In particular, it indicates that a pedestrian crossing may be installed where a pedestrian survey establishes that:

“In two separate one hour periods of a typical weekday, there are no fewer than 60 pedestrians crossing the roadway within close proximity to the site (generally within 15 to 30 metres)”.

I am advised that a recent pedestrian survey undertaken by DTEI on 16 October 2008 indicated that the number of pedestrians observed crossing at this location is well below the minimum required to justify the installation of a pedestrian crossing. Given the relatively low number of pedestrian movements at this location, DTEI considers that the existing pedestrian refuge is appropriate at this time.

Nevertheless, DTEI will install safety fencing on either side of the refuge area to better channel pedestrians to the crossing area. This work will be completed by the end of December 2008. The longer term issue of traffic management at this school will also be discussed between DTEI, the school and the City of Campbelltown.

In South Australia the speed limit for school zones is 25km/h. This speed limit is the lowest in Australia with all other jurisdictions having a 40km/h speed limit at school zones.

I trust that the above information is of assistance.

from the South Australian Minister for Road Safety, Hon. Carmel Zollo MLC, to a petition presented on 15 September by Mrs Irwin (from 479 citizens)