Carnage on the corner
Fancy a little accident spotting while you enjoy a nice pizza? Word on the street is that the best seat in town is at Scopa.
Michael Gregg comments:
Someone will be injured on the Ghuznee/Cuba Corner soon. Spend ten minutes in Scopa and watch the intersection to see for yourself.
Pedestrians crossing Ghuznee Street are struggling with the new two-way traffic flowing through Ghuznee. There is no reminder to look both ways and regulars are falling back into old habits, glancing and running. Even worse, the new traffic lights bring traffic out of Cuba at the same time as the pedestrian signals engage, meaning the intersection brings impatient drivers and bustling, rushing walkers together. As the weather deteriorates, I’m worried that someone might get hit.
The solution:
- Remove the chains and allow pedestrians to cross diagonally and on both sides of Cuba Street halting all vehicle traffic for this period. This will quickly clear the backlog of walkers by allowing more room to cross, plus take them off the street when the cars get their right of way.
- Install clear signage at eye height and on the curb.
- Mark the Ghuznee east intersection clearly with a no-left turn arrow.
- Mark the Cuba intersection with left and right lanes to direct turning traffic.
- Put two way arrows on the Ghuznee roadway (like we do for tourists on SH1) for both entry/exits into this intersection
How are you enjoying the two way traffic on Ghuznee?
I love it, but then my favourite memories are of cars going the wrong way down Molesworth St. Such a blissful spectator sport.
Funny. I was thinking just about these exact thoughts yesterday as I waited to cross, and watched a couple of not-so-bright individuals do the old look-one-way before crossing trick, straight in front of a car that had to hit the brakes to avoid cleaning them out.
Yep it's shocking - have seen people just walk out and not look both ways, they really need to put in big 'look both ways' signs at LEAST or someone WILL get hit. I'm surprised it hasn't happened already!
I had to restrain my friend one drunken night who was very very abusive towards someone who was turning left going "umm, they're allowed to do that now"
6. Close Cuba Street for traffic between Vivian and Ghuznee. And close that car park next to Floriditas while they're at it. Surely the big garage on Marion Street can accommodate a few more cars, and the freed up space could become a beer garden in summer and something else for the other 9 months of the year (ice skating rink?)
7. Make Ghuznee Street one-way again as before. Between Victoria and Marion (before it branches out for the turns), reduce it to one lane and use the other lanes to extend the sidewalks.
8. Peace, love and happiness ensue.
excellent suggestions all round, particularly the closing of that car-park (or tow-truck honey-trap, as it should be known).
Yes, excellent ideas. If the council et al had been serious about improving the pedestrian experience around Ghuznee St (which was one of the justifications for the bypass) then they'd all be on the agenda, but ... well, yeah right.
There should be some slight improvements coming to that corner soon, but at the moment it's a mess. For example, the pedestrian crossing from Scopa to Ernesto goes red about 30 seconds before the lights on Cuba St, so there's a long period every cycle when pedestrians can't cross in either direction, for no particular reason. That's just inviting jaywalking.
In fact, I think Ghuznee St was easier to cross when it was one-way and almost gridlocked. When you've got fast-moving traffic coming from both directions, it's very hard to find a safe window to cross.
I walked through there last night and found one (1) sign that said "look both ways". It was vry small and attached to the pole by the Star Mart, i.e. where the chains are so you can't cross the road.
Yeah - saw that sign too. I'm sure it was installed by a thoughtful local. Btw, I got an email reply from the WCC. They're looking into it now. Will post their response when/if I get one ...
After a few weeks of teasing me with near misses I finally managed to catch someone get hit this morning.
Silly git had it coming. Luckily no-one was hurt badly, just shaken up a little.
I think all of the above are wise and noble suggestions but the one constant you can't plan for is human stupidity I'm afraid.
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