Alstonville residents push for Ballina Rd pedestrian and cyclist upgrades

A North Coast mother who was riding on her street when a car clipped her toddler trailer has vowed to fight for changes to the road’s current lack of pedestrian crossings.

An Alstonville mother is demanding change sooner after a “terrifying” near miss involving her young son on a busy and “industrial” road.

Longtime Northern Rivers local Evie Dennis moved to Ballina Rd recently and said she can hear cars speeding along the street at night.

Despite the completion of the Alstonville bypass, projected to ease traffic by 50 per cent, the avid cyclist fears the street is not usable for families or the elderly.

This fear was exacerbated recently when she was cycling with her toddler trailer, near Crawford Park, and was clipped by a car coming across the road.

While her three-year-old son was in the trailer at the time, he fortunately avoided injury.

“It was really terrifying,” she said.

“The day after I got clipped I was like eff this, I’m not going to die on Ballina Rd.”

Alstonville Resident Evie Dennis would like to see pedestrian crossings placed across Ballina Rd, near Crawford Park. Picture: Tessa Flemming

She said many young families and children use the road to cut through to the preschool, high school and public pool.

Even elderly residents struggled to share the space with cyclists whizzing past, she said.

“Every single time I ride up and down, three out of four times a week, I have a conversation with someone about how terrible it is and how dangerous it is,” she said.

“There’s hot sun, no pedestrian crossings, it’s just completely inaccessible.”

The near-miss had spurred Mrs Dennis to launch a petition to improve the road.

Her recommendations included building two pedestrian crossings (one near Teven Rd and one near Crawford Park), introducing a bike lane along Ballina Rd and changing the speed limit to 50km/h.

She hoped the combination would slow down the speed on “average”.

“I don’t think they should change the road because people have been in accidents,” she said.

“I think they should change the road so people don’t get in accidents.”

Ballina Shire Council has previously outlined plans to construct a 198 path and one kerb ramp on Ballina Rd as part of Ballina Shire Council’s Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan.

However, this is estimated to be delivered in 2027/2028.

A council spokeswoman said the program had a number of factors to prioritise projects.

“Residents regularly submit suggestions for amendments to these plans and there is a process to review these and update the proposed program,” she said.

“Each year the forward programs from these plans are included in Council’s Delivery Program and Operational Plan. This is the process for Council to confirm the allocation of funds for each of the individual projects.

“The Delivery Program and Operational Plan are placed on exhibition in May of each year for public comment.”

A change in speed zones would also be dependant on Transport for NSW review, and council will then consult the Ballina Shire Council Local Traffic Committee.

Mrs Dennis said with an unprecedented population boom in Alstonville and a changing demographic, she hoped to speed up the project.

“Between being pushed out from Byron Shire … and even the people who have lived here for ages, they’re all starting families now,” she said.

“It’s a different demographic.”

Within the coming weeks, Mrs Dennis plans to letterbox drop along Ballina Rd and reach out to councillors.

Sign the petition using this QR code.

She also said it was vital to get those preschool-aged kids feeling street-smart and used to cycling.
“They don’t feel safe to move around in that way and (they need to) learn that travelling by bike is a normal thing,” she said.

“It could be a far lovelier way of coming into Alstonville for everyone.”

In the meantime check her petition, either via this link or the QR code.