The catchment area of Wakehurst Public School encompasses the eastern side of Forest Way. Unfortunately, many families who choose to walk to school are faced with a perilous situation, as they have no alternative but to navigate an extremely dangerous stretch of road. By doing so, they are putting their lives at risk. The intersections at Glen St and Wearden Rd are particularly treacherous, notorious for motor vehicle accidents and near misses.

 

 

We urgently appeal to the State Government (Wakehurst and Davidson electorates) and Transport NSW to collaborate on reassessing this road section and finding ways to enhance the safety of our children and the broader community. Specifically, we request the following measures:

1. The speed limit along Forest Way, from Wearden Rd to Bowman Ave, should be reduced to 40 KM/h, designating it as a school zone. Trucks travelling at 70km/h (speeding at up to 100km/h) and kids do not mix. 

2. Construction of a large metal fence along both sides of Forest Way from Wearden Rd to the intersection at Bambara Rd to improve pedestrian safety where the footpath is adjacent to the road with little to no grass. Most of this section is a ~1.5m wide footpath with nothing to stop kids falling into the path of traffic. At this site, multiple school-aged children have been hit or had near misses with vehicles including a 9 year-old child who fell from their bike into the path of a truck only to be saved by their mother’s quick-ting action to drag them to safety and an 8 year old whose backpack was clipped by a passing car’s mirror and was almost dragged under the vehicle. These are just the recent ones! The Wakehurst Public School community has many other stories of kids being “bumped” at this intersection by cars and trucks. Installing a safety fence along this verge is an easy safety ‘quick-win’ that must be urgently completed.

3. A comprehensive evaluation should be conducted to determine the feasibility of constructing a pedestrian footbridge connecting the eastern and western sides of Forest Way, particularly around the Bambara Oval area. This footbridge would greatly improve the safety of our children and the community on their way to school and help them avoid the hazardous intersections. There is sufficient public land to do this.

This is an unofficial, dangerous crossing point frequently used by school-aged and adult commuters accessing the bus stops fronting Belrose (Bambara) Oval. These bus stops have a high utilisation rate as they are the first to capture all bus routes from/to Belrose/Davidson/Terrey Hills. Those crossing from the Eastern side have to take a risk in crossing due to an impeded view on their right (blind curve) with vehicles including fully-laden construction trucks approaching at 70-80kmh (realistically up to 100kmh). Those crossing from the Western side have to take a similar risk due to a view impeded by the road crest to their right – again stepping out onto the road with vehicles approaching at speeds approaching 100km/h. Most of these school-aged and adult commuters take this risk twice per day (ie both ways) and if they can’t cross all six lanes at once (most instances), they are left stranded on a <1m median strip with vehicles passing closely either side!
An overpass will immediately solve the current safety issue and avoid an inevitable pedestrian death. It will make it safer for commuters to access the bus stops, our kids to get to school and for families to access the Belrose Children’s Centre/Belrose (Bambara) Oval. An overpass will also open up the entire Belrose community as this location is a key pedestrian crossing/through point to Glenrose shopping centre/Lionel Watts/Belrose Library and other key community infrastructure.
Adult commuters, parents (including those with prams) and school-aged kids will continue to take the risk of running across this point of Forest Way with an obstructed view of high-speed oncoming traffic as the nearest crossing points are simply too far away. We fear the day when this results in a death and implore the government to take pre-emptive action on this. There have been multiple vehicle/pedestrian collisions and near misses at this site including very recent ones noted in the survey comments.

4. A review of the traffic lights and pedestrian crossing at Forest Way and Glen St is imperative. Currently, buses turning right from the left lane of Glen St onto Forest Way obstruct the view of cars turning left, preventing them from seeing pedestrians crossing. This situation poses a significant risk, and appropriate modifications should be made to ensure pedestrian safety.

Additionally, previous incidents at both the Weardon Rd and Glen St intersections had Transport NSW recommend that there be a 4 second delay between the lights turning green (allowing traffic to move onto Forest Way) and the pedestrian green man light. Currently these lights are not configured in this way posing an unnecessary threat to pedestrians. Transport NSW needs to be held accountable for implementing this recommendation.

This map shows a high-level image of the changes that the community wants to see happen to make this section of road safer for all: https://www.scribblemaps.com/maps/view/Proposed-Safety-Improvements-Forest-Way/Proposed_Safety_Improvements_ForestWay

This clip shows how obstructed the cars are when behind the buses: https://youtube.com/shorts/95UxOii5-M4

During school hours, the number of pedestrians attempting to cross these busy intersections often exceeds 30. Meanwhile, cars, buses, and trucks zoom past at speeds of up to 70km/h. Without implementing these measures, it is only a matter of time before a pedestrian tragedy occurs, resulting in severe injury or loss of life.

This hazardous situation has persisted for far too long, and we implore immediate action to safeguard the well-being of our children and their families.

We urge you to watch the attached video to witness first hand the alarming danger posed by passing vehicles.

Clip: https://youtube.com/shorts/_0C6R-95GdQ?feature=share

 

 

Link to Wakehurst Public School Catchment: https://www.schoolcatchment.com.au/?p=335

 

 

 

 

The previous response from Transport NSW when I raised it March 2022. I think you will agree that this is a substandard response.

 

I am also including this email thread from another concerned community member (Jacqui North) after her son was hit by a vehicle at the intersection of Weardon Rd and Forest Way. See below:

"Following up on our meeting with Hon Michael Reagan on Thursday 27 July.

Every day our children make 4,250 journeys to and from six local schools, but there is no safe way to cross the 6-lane highway that is Forestway.
When we cross Forestway, either in a car or on foot travelling to school, we cross 6 lanes of traffic carrying over 38, 451 cars and heavy trucks which are travelling at speeds of up to and more than 70 kilometres per hour.

Approx 100 metres of road has 3 slip roads and 2 sets of lights, the area Traffic Command say it is dangerous.
There have been numerous crashes. An ambulance station is at the corner where my son was hit.

I collated these 2018 statistics and the affected schools in the letter attached 'Fourth Child Hit on Pedestrian Crossings.

In 2018 my son was hit by a car while walking to Wakehurst Primary School.

An elderly man drove into my nine-year-old son. My son was crossing, correctly at the pedestrian crossing at the Wearden Road and Forest Way traffic lights.
The arrow for ‘vehicles’ turns green at the same time that the ‘walking’ pedestrian man turns green.
I did the following to try to make the area safer for all pedestrians

On 7/09/2018 I wrote to RMS and the State Minister for Roads, regarding Forestway and Traffic Light programming without reply. I wrote to NBH’s Ferrovial York (constructing the hospital) who said they would forward my letter to RMS.

On 11/09/2018 at the accident site, I met the Mimosa School Principal, the manager of NBC’s Bambara Road Childcare Centre, Luca’s teacher and the man who witnessed the accident to discuss pedestrian safety.
On 14/09/2018 met with Traffic Sergeant Nino Jelovic and Senior Constable Dave Gilligan from Northern Beaches Police. They and Constable Jackman whom I met on Friday 7 September, said people are impatient and are driving erratically because of the road works.

A letter from Caroline Desmond, Principal of Wakehurst School was sent Traffic Sergeant to be forwarded to RMS.

I proposed that
• A pedestrian fence be installed on both sides of Forestway - there is only a gutter between children and B-Double Trucks.
• a 40 school zone, the precedents are the Montessori school on Warringah Road and Covenant Christian school both of which are a similar distance and orientation with 40 school zones.
• footpath be widened (RMS refused due to a 100-year-old tree)
• phasing of the lights prioritises pedestrians by 4 seconds
• longer-term a pedestrian bridge
The response attached from the State Department was that no crashes had been recorded at this site.
But that is untrue.
No crashes were recorded... except my son was hit by a car there and numerous crashes since.
And a man became a quadriplegic hit crossing Forestway.
No action by anyone.. except 2 plastic bollards to slow down which are now gone and a pedestrian sign on Wearden Rd was straightened

Jacqui North"