Good morning Supporters

A quick update.

This morning (25/7/23) I met with Matt Cross MP (Member for Davidson) and Mark Speakman MP (Member for Cronulla and Leader of the Opposition) outside Wakehurst Public School. They had invited the Northern Beaches Advocate to meet with them to discuss the high rate of speeding in school zones on the Northern Beaches. Apparently the highest number of infringements in all of NSW occurs on the Northern Beaches.

I took the opportunity to raise our petition to improve the safety of pedestrians on Forest Way and essentially hijacked their meeting. They listened, and read the petition that I had printed out and were very supportive of finding a solution. They have both committed to raising the issue in parliament. Matt has promised to come back to me in the next 2 weeks with some updates on progress.

This is great news, but we need to keep fighting and share our stories and concerns. I personally witnessed another near miss this week.

Please continue to share the petition.

Thanks for your support

Kylie Westren

I am also taking the opportunity to share this last update from Transport NSW. I think you will agree that this is a sub-standard response to such a serious issue:

Dear Kylie,

Thank you for your correspondence to Transport for NSW (TfNSW) regarding Forest Way, Belrose.

Transport for NSW is committed to providing a safe road environment for students adjacent to school premises. In accordance with the NSW School Zoning Guidelines, 40km/h school zones have been provided on roads with an active direct access point from the school, and on roads where a Transport School Crossing Supervisor is employed. In accordance with this program, 40km/h school zones have been provided along Glen Street, Forest Glen Crescent, Annette Place and Merelyn Road for Wakehurst Public School. 

School Zones are intended for proximity to school access points where school children’s activities along the road are in higher concentrations. They are not intended for routes to school or as a traffic management measure. As Forest Way is a state road with a significant role in the Greater Sydney Road network and considering there are no access points to Wakehurst Public School on Forest Way, it is not considered appropriate to implement a school zone on Forest Way at this time.  

The current policy for assessing a site for any pedestrian facility, including pedestrian bridges, requires that consideration is given to vehicular & pedestrian traffic, road conditions, future demand, and the accident history of the site which is then prioritised for funding on a state-wide basis. Construction of pedestrian bridges also involves further factors including land acquisition and environmental impact, surrounding infrastructure, community impact and the necessary design and funding approvals. Based on this policy it would be unlikely that this site would be eligible for road safety funding at this time.

Transport for NSW notes that the installation of pedestrian fencing and safety barriers are carried out by TfNSW at locations that meet strict criteria including crash history and are then prioritised for limited funding on a state-wide priority basis.

The pedestrian signals at this intersection operate identically to most of the traffic signals in NSW whereby the pedestrian movements and vehicle movements operate in parallel. This provides the safest and most efficient operation of both pedestrian and vehicular phasing.

The signals located across Forest Way at Glen Street operate using on demand pedestrian protection, only activating when a pedestrian presses the button. The red hold arrow for Glen Street is illuminated as the green walk signal for Forest Way is illuminated. This is considered appropriate at this time. 

The enforcement of traffic laws, including motorists not giving way to pedestrians, remains a primary responsibility of the NSW Police Force. If you have witnessed drivers behaving illegally, we strongly urge that you contact the Northern Beaches Police Area Command on 02 9971 3399, who will determine whether targeted enforcement activities may be appropriate.

Local councils are responsible for providing and maintaining safe, accessible, and fit for purpose footpaths. This location falls under the care and control of Northern Beaches Council and any request for footpath maintenance at this location is a matter for council to investigate and consider in the first instance. They can be contacted on 1300 434 434 or at council@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au.

TfNSW will continue to monitor the intersection to ensure safe and efficient journeys for all road users.

We hope this has been of assistance. If you have any further questions, Samantha Morley, Traffic Engineering Officer, at Transport for NSW would be pleased to take your call on 02 8837 0016.

Regards,

Transport for NSW