‘Blunt’ barriers replace ‘brutal’ blocks
The new staples have been described as an overengineered response by a cycling advocate. Photo: Max Frethey.
Blunt, brutal, bland – the feedback on the new staples at the Songer St crossing is less than complimentary, but they appear to be working at slowing people down.
The permanent barriers were installed near the end of December as a replacement for the brightly coloured concrete blocks which had been temporarily installed along the popular shared path.
The staples, and the “brutal” blocks before them, aim to slow down users of the path after several safety incidents were caused by some cyclists and scooters crossing the road at high speeds.
Signs telling people to slow their approach were already in place.
Bicycle Nelson Bays convenor Bevan Woodward acknowledges the council had to make the crossing a safe, a difficult job where several different modes of transport interact.
However, he described the newly-installed staples as overengineered and bad urban design.
“We think that the response is very blunt, brutal, or bland.”
Bevan says the raised crossing was a great facility, but it was “a shame” the staples were installed.
“It could have been handled differently, it's not fair on people who are in wheelchairs or on mobility scooters have to deal with these kinds of obstructions.”
He likened the layout to a “sheep run” and says its “industrial” aesthetic wasn’t in keeping with the otherwise “lovely” Railway Reserve.
“It’s just so ugly.”
Bevan believes the council should have trialled rumble strips along the section of the shared path, similar to what can be found on the Maitai River path that travels underneath State Highway 6/Queen Elizabeth II Drive, before installing the barriers.
“We think they work really well. They’re just an alert to cyclists and scooter-users that you need to slow down.”
But it appears the staples are also working well in slowing path users down.
“Since installing the new barriers at the Songer St crossing there have been no reported crashes or near misses,” says the council’s group manager infrastructure, Alec Louverdis.
He adds that Stoke has a high population of older people and that rumble strips could impede walkers and motor scooters.
“Council has to consider the conflicting needs of all users – making the area aesthetically pleasing, making it easier and more convenient for active transport, while also meeting the safety requirements for a variety of different modes of transport,” Alec says.
“Council prioritizes safety above all, even when we anticipate this may be unpopular with some users.”
Artwork and messaging encouraging travelling at safe speeds are planned to be added to the staples in the coming weeks.
The new layout will continue to be monitored.
The cost installing the blocks and the staples at the crossing was $20,500.
