Jaywalking crisis: Council moves to prevent more accidents at worst hot-spots

CARELESS jaywalkers are being blamed for an increasing number of accidents and near misses involving pedestrians on the Gold Coast. Now council is taking action at the city’s worst intersections.

A pedestrian fatality sparks a police investigation on the Gold Coast.

THE Gold Coast is a city of jaywalkers — and running illegally across some of the Glitter Strip’s biggest intersections can be a deadly exercise.

Webcrash data reveals 69 crashes across the Coast between July 2017 and April this year involving a pedestrian which saw three fatalities, 45 people requiring hospital treatment and 17 receiving medical help after sustaining injuries.

While new research shows 87 per cent of pedestrians are making “an informed and safe decision” which compares well with statewide data, some intersections at Broadbeach and Southport are horror crossings.

Pedestrian countdown timers used by the Gold Coast City Council.

The council is moving quickly by rolling out pedestrian countdown timers which warn young jaywalkers how many seconds they have left to make a crossing and gives older residents time to return back to the footpath.

Council transport and infrastructure committee chair Pauling Young told The Bulletin: “It’s all about safety. Our city is growing at such a fast rate. It’s not just for residents but tourists. We have to be on the front foot.”

The council study showed higher compliance rates across five intersections used in a trial with pedestrians taking notice of the timing which flashed a 30-second countdown as they crossed highways before the red “Don’t Walk” signal appeared.

More than 13,000 pedestrian movements were monitored and the results mirrored anecdotal evidence from councillors about safety hot spots.

“The level of compliance varied between the sites from 74 per cent at Old Burleigh Road in Broadbeach to 91 per cent at The Esplanade in Surfers Paradise,” the report said.

Research by the Gold Coast City Council on pedestrian countdown timers.

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While only nine per cent of pedestrians crossed outside normal operations at The Esplanade, 26 per cent were caught at Old Burleigh Road and 21 per cent at the Gold Coast Highway and Nerang Street Mall at Southport walking across after lights changed to green.

Councillor Young said councillors during debate were quick to nominate intersection trouble spots across the city.

Councillors at next Tuesday’s full council meeting are likely to back a recommendation that the countdown timers will be introduced at another 10 locations at a cost of $100,000.

“Once we’re through full council (with the recommendations passed), other councillors can put their hands up and say let’s investigate these areas here,” Cr Young told The Bulletin.

Cr Young said two priority intersections in her Burleigh division were the Gold Coast Highway outside the Miami State High School and Connor Street in the beachside suburb’s business heart.

“We have a lot of people running the gauntlet there. We have a lot of near misses. At Miami, we’ve got 1400 kids crossing that busy intersection,” Cr Young said.

. Councillor Pauline Young says council will look at priority traffic intersections for a roll out of the new safety program. Photo: Jerad Williams

The future locations for PCTs include Gold Coast Highway and Queensland Avenue, Scarborough Street at Australia Fair, two locations on Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Robina Town Centre and Christine Avenue and Napper Road at Arundel.

Three locations are earmarked on the Gold Coast Highway — at the Convention Centre, Tedder Avenue and Waterways Drive.

Broadbeach-based councillor Paul Taylor said the safety devices were a “fantastic idea” which gave elderly residents warning time crossing major stretches of road like the Gold Coast Highway.

“When the timers come on, you know you will get to the other side. You can see them flashing at you,” Cr Taylor said.

“You will always get the idiots who run across anyway. But the more mature people will follow these timers.”