PLANS for a pedestrian refuge along Cleveland-Redland Bay Road should be sent back to the drawing board if concerned residents have their way.
The draft for the refuge in between the bus stops near Redland Bay’s Anita Street intersection was released by Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey’s office last month following a review into pedestrian safety.
Mr Bailey said the planned refuge, which has design details yet-to-be-finalised, would deliver a low-cost solution to pedestrian safety without affecting traffic flow.
He said the refuge’s construction was planned for completion this year.
But Redland Bay resident Paul Hymas, whose two school-aged daughters cross the 80km/h two lane Cleveland-Redland Bay Road after school, said the plans did not go far enough to ensure pedestrians’ safe passage.
He said the draft refuge did not offer anything different to the traffic island already there.
“We don’t really think the proposed design is adequate,” Mr Hymas said. “There needs to be a staggered crossing area to stop the children from trying to cross two lanes and this area needs to be fenced.”
Mr Hymas said when he was told about the planned upgrades, he envisioned a staggered and fenced crossing similar to the one near Victoria Point High School.
A spokeswoman said any comment provided by Mr Bailey, who was approached for a response to Mr Hymas’ concerns, would be inappropriate given the refuge’s final design was still in the planning process.
Redlands MP Matt McEachan, who has pushed for a pedestrian crossing near the bus stop, said an upgrade of the dangerous nearby Anita Street intersection was needed.
The Cleveland-Redland Bay Road intersection at Giles Road, which is about 1.5km south of the Anita Street intersection, claimed the life of a man in a school bus crash late last month.
