EVEN with the opening of the Bega Bypass and reduced truck traffic through town, few road users – or pedestrians for that matter - would argue the intersection of Carp and Gipps St is easy to negotiate.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The problem for pedestrians in particular is compounded if they have a disability.
With that in mind, a small team of young locals is putting forward for consideration the idea to install traffic lights at the intersection.
Cara Hay, Paul Zeller and Nathan Johnston each have a different disability and each find negotiating road crossings around Bega tricky.
They believe a set of traffic lights and pedestrian crossing would be of benefit to all and presented their idea to a My Choice Matters leadership program last week.
Their presentation was the culmination of three months of their own research, including taking videos of traffic flow and pedestrians at the intersection, as well as video interviews with several community members and business people on the topic [including the BDN editor].
“It's a horrible intersection,” Mr Zeller said.
“There's a visibility problem, especially when cars are parked along the street it can cause problems for motorists' visibility.
“I've seen quite a few near misses.
“Lights would give people extra time to cross.”
The trio acknowledged the issues installing another set of traffic lights in the main street of Bega would raise.
However, they say the safety aspect is too big to ignore.
They suggested a compromise could be converting the current traffic lights at Church St to a zebra crossing only, moving the lights to the Carp/Gipps intersection instead.
“No-one [pedestrians] waits for the green light there anyway, which is frustrating for the drivers who then have to stop there for no reason,” Ms Hay said.
Mr Zeller said the idea of lights at that particular intersection wasn't a new one, but one he and his collaborators felt was worth pursuing further.
“People might be talking about it, they just need a nudge to get moving.”
The trio said presenting their concerns and ideas to last week's leadership workshop was well received.
The My Choice Matters program is of benefit in itself.
“It's tied in with the roll-out of the NDIS,” Mr Zeller said.
“We've been learning about how to be leaders in the community and advocating for people with disability.
“It's about projecting our own voice.
“We don't want to lose our voice [when the NDIS comes in], we want to remain our own advocates.”
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MORE TRAFFIC LIGHTS IN BEGA? Comment below or email ben.smyth@fairfaxmedia.com.au
