Push for timers on Memorial Drive traffic lights

The Wollongong CBD is already home to three intersections where countdown timers are in place for pedestrians.

But Mr Park is looking to put them in place along Memorial Drive for motorists – giving drivers a countdown for when the lights will change, usually from green to yellow.

“We just know there have been some incidents of pedestrians hit on Memorial Drive,” Mr Park said.

“These timers are the ones that are designed to give motorists warning it’s about to change.

“Unfortunately on Memorial Drive we have a large number of traffic lights and a large number of people who go in excess of 80km/h.”

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However a Roads and Traffic Authority spokesman said the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS) that controls traffic lights NSW would not be compatible with countdown timers.

“Almost all traffic lights in NSW are controlled by SCATS, with varying degrees of flexibility and adaptability,” the spokesman said.

“The timing of these traffic lights is almost always dependent on the measured traffic conditions and there are no fixed patterns of timing.

“The implementation of a fixed countdown timer would eliminate the ability to be flexible and adapt to traffic conditions.”

The spokesman admitted there was a small number of intersections – mainly in the Sydney CBD – where the timing for the lights changing was fixed.

He added this was because they were areas of high pedestrian traffic and that no countdown timers were on display.

Despite this, Mr Park planned to push for timers along Memorial Drive.

“I am going to try and see if there’s any opportunity to integrate them in with the existing SCATS system if that is at all possible, even on a trial basis,” Mr Park said.

“It’s all about looking at options to try and make that road a little bit safer.”