Residents’ petition for pedestrian crossing on Blackstone Rd, Silkstone rejected by Ipswich City Council

Hundreds of Ipswich residents who have petitioned for more than a year to have a pedestrian crossing “paramount” to their safety reinstated along a busy road near both shops and public transport have had their request rejected by the council.

Ipswich councillors have unanimously agreed not to reinstate a pedestrian crossing at its former location in Silkstone — on a busy road near a bus stop and shopping centre — despite hundreds of local residents arguing its existence is “paramount” to their safety.

A petition requesting the crossing be reinstated on Blackstone Rd near its intersection with Coolibah St was signed by 223 people and discussed in Ipswich City Council’s June meeting on Thursday.

The pedestrian crossing in question was formerly located about 100m east of the intersection of Blackstone and Grange Rds and about 24m east of Coolibah St. It was removed 11 years ago, prior to the construction of Silkstone Village Shopping Mall.

Dozens of concerned residents have since asked the council to consider reinstating the crossing, asserting that the nearest “safe” crossings are three blocks away and traffic volumes to the new shopping centre and Blackstone Rd and Coolibah St bus stops are high.

A report tabled at the council’s June meeting recommended the councillors reject residents’ request as other pedestrian crossing facilities already exist nearby.

It referred specifically to the four “safe and signal-controlled” pedestrian crossings which currently operate at the intersection of Blackstone and Grange Rds, as well as the one located on Blackstone Rd near its intersection with Molloy St.

“Given that Blackstone Rd’s main function is to facilitate high traffic movements, there is a balance required to also facilitate other road users such as cyclists and pedestrians,” the report read.

“In this regard, the current available opportunities for pedestrians to cross are considered adequate for the function of the road.”

The report noted that the current pedestrian refuge on Blackstone Rd will undergo some minor modifications — the island will be extended on the western side — if the childcare facility proposed to be built at an adjacent site goes ahead.

Council officers stated a number of factors would make it “difficult” to reinstate the crossing at its original location, including that local site conditions have changed over the past decade, Silkstone Village Shopping Centre now exists and operates, new bus stops have been introduced in the area, and Blackstone Rd has a speed limit of 60km/h.

They ultimately recommended the councillors decide not to reinstate the pedestrian crossing, noting in their report that they “have not undertaken any direct consultation with the local community”.

Division Three Ipswich councillors Andrew Fechner and Marnie Doyle have been particularly vocal in the Silkstone pedestrian crossing matter. Picture: File

Speaking on the decision in the June meeting, Councillor Marnie Doyle said she acknowledged there were “lots of concerns” with the volume of traffic and the heavy vehicle use at Blackstone Rd since the Silkstone shopping centre was constructed.

“While we appreciate the concerns of residents, the advice from council officers is that there is a pedestrian crossing further up Blackstone Rd near the school and then in the opposite direction there is the traffic lights with the pedestrian crossing,” Cr Doyle said.

“So while not an ideal response, I understand residents might be a little bit disappointed, there are other safety issues if (the) council were to implement another crossing there. We’re obviously bound by state legislation and road rules, et cetera.”

Councillor Andrew Fechner pointed out that drivers would not generally expect a pedestrian crossing along a road with a speed limit of 60km/h, so the decision was ultimately the safer option.

Cr Doyle said she and Cr Fechner had advocated “hard” for residents in the Silkstone area and would continue to talk with council staff to improve outcomes for them.

The matter of the Silkstone pedestrian crossing was first raised with the council in April 2021 and then again in February this year.