Signs to help curb confusion and address safety at award-winning Hallett Cove road

THE Adelaide road no one knows how to use despite it winning an award for its “innovative shared space” design is to get some new signage to help road-users work it out. 

Brenton Cornish walks through the area around Ragamuffin Drive most mornings, with his dog Michelle. Picture: Roger Wyman

SAFETY signs will be installed in a bid to prevent accidents on an Adelaide road that won an award for its “innovative shared space” design.

SAFETY signs will be installed in a bid to prevent accidents on a Hallett Cove road that won an award for its “innovative shared space” design.

Marion Council has decided to put up signs to warn pedestrians and cars on Ragamuffin Drive to look out for each other, following concern some people do not realise they are walking out onto a road.

The problem spot is a section of the road between the Cove Civic Centre and its carpark, which was built in 2014 with asphalt, concrete and pavers, but no kerbs.

Labelled as an “an innovative shared space for all road users”, it won an award for excellence in road safety from the Institute of Public Works Engineering – but that didn’t stop locals from raising concerns about it.

The council last month voted to spend $5000 on the new signs.

Cr Ian Crossland said he and Cr Janet Byram had visited the area and found some pedestrians didn’t seem to realise the difference between the footpath and road.

“We observed cars doing the right thing, but we saw many pedestrians just drift out into the road, not even looking,” he said.

Staff presented five options for improving safety on the thoroughfare, including various pedestrian crossings and installing bollards alongside the road.

A report found the bollards might look like a fence and encourage motorists to take ownership of the street.

Cr Crossland said pedestrian crossings would not be suitable because there were about five points where people walked across the road.

“We’d have to repeat any treatment we did five times,” he said.

Cr Janet Byram, a member of the Hallett Cove Baptist Church next door, said although the road was “a beautiful area”, “people need to be educated more about this type of crossing”.

Operations general manager Tony Lines told the meeting he managed two groups with a stake in the road design. “I look after the group that designed it and are proud of it and I also look after the group that works in the library (at the Cove Civic Centre),” he said.

“We’ve all been there, where we’ve had to stop ourselves at that walkway.

“We do need to make it a lot safer than it is.”

Brenton Cornish, who walks in the area each morning, hoped the signs would reduce traffic speeds.

They will be installed in May.

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