Pedestrian platforms spreading cross the city

Orange is becoming a more pedestrian-friendly city with the installation of a new series of pedestrian platforms and refuge islands in local streets.

City of Orange Traffic Committee Chair Cr Russell Turner said the new structures are being built at nine intersections across the city.

Of the nine, six were fully funded through the federal government's National Black Spot program and were identified using crash history data.

He said the structures were designed to make it easier and safer for pedestrians to cross the road because it reduces the distance they need to travel between footpaths and the platforms slow traffic.

"The platforms are designed to reduce the distance between each footpath making it easier for people, such as the elderly and those with prams to cross the road safely," Cr Turner said.

"Many of Orange’s older streets were built with a width that would allow bullock drays to turn around. These streets are now up to eight metres wider than what’s needed for modern traffic.

"Before these structure were built, drivers could cut the corner in a wide arch, meaning they could be driving in the opposite lane for a much longer distance."

With these structures, there’s a narrower gap for turning cars to drive through and cars are unable to cut corners.

"So while it’s a change drivers will take time to get used to, it’s designed so that they will both travel through the intersections more slowly and they can’t cut corners. It makes the roads safer for everyone," Cr Turner said.

The platforms include sloping ramps to make it easier for elderly pedestrians or people in wheelchairs to access the road.

‘Give Way’ signs are also being installed on the platforms and pedestrian islands on cross streets.

"Because the Give Way signs can be positioned further out into the road-way than the corner previously, this improves the visibility of the drivers to see past trees and parked cars," he said.

Work on new pedestrian platforms at six intersections, including the corner of March and Sale Street, were chosen because of crash history data and funded through the Federal Government’s National Blackspot Program.

These sites include :

• March Street and Sale Street
• Prince Street and Clinton Street
• Warrendine Street and Sale Street
• Dalton Street and Spring Street
• Coronation Drive and Frost Street
• Moulder Street and Sale Street (adding to existing traffic measures on site)

These projects are funded 100% by the Blackspot program.

A number of other intersections were identified by Orange City Council’s Pedestrian and Mobility Plan and some are funded partly by the NSW Government by Roads and Maritime Services.

The total value of the work on these nine intersections is around $750,000.