Mount St Thomas residents are calling on Wollongong council to improve pedestrian and traffic safety along The Avenue before someone is hurt.
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They have started a petition that requests, at a minimum, the council install footpaths and speed humps, as well as raised pedestrian crossings, roundabouts at busy intersections, and better road markings and signage to inform drivers of the speed limit.
Heading east beyond the Princes Motorway overpass, The Avenue has a footpath on the northern side but past Taronga Avenue pedestrians have to walk on the verge.
Resident Matt McCrohon, a father of two young children, said some parts were then too steep or blocked by trees, forcing pedestrians out onto the narrow road - a concern especially for the elderly, children and parents with prams.
Speeding vehicles were also a worry. Beyond the overpass the street had a 40km/h limit, but Mr McCrohon said some motorists drove it "like it's a race track".
He said motorists turning onto The Avenue from auxiliary streets might also not realise the speed limit changed.
Residents of the area had been demanding action for years, he said, but little had been done.
"There's been no attention to that most dangerous stretch of road," Mr McCrohon said, referring to the length between Taronga Avenue and Television Avenue.
The residents' petition has attracted more than 400 signatures, and Mr McCrohon hopes the council will accept the comments from those who have signed as legitimate concerns.
"I've seen many close calls while babysitting ... Someone is going to be badly injured or killed unless we SLOW IT DOWN on The Avenue," one person, a grandparent of two young residents, wrote.
A Wollongong City Council spokesperson said the council had a strong partnership with Mount St Thomas Public School to improve the safety of students going to and from school.
"Pedestrian safety is an important priority for council, especially around high traffic areas such as local schools and we recognise that some community members also find this an area of concern," the spokesperson said.
In a statement, the spokesperson outlined other road improvement projects in the area, including plans for rehabilitated footpaths on Taronga Avenue and St Johns Avenue, and a crossing on Heaslip Street.
Work on these is due to begin in 2022-23.
"Right now, we're also investigating the proposal for a no stopping zone during school zone times at the access points of Toorak Avenue, Kilara Avenue, McArthur Parade and Eastern Avenue laneways," the spokesperson said.
However, the council did not identify any planned safety upgrades for The Avenue itself.
Mr McCrohon said he was open to being contacted by the council directly, so any constraints on addressing the residents' issues could be communicated to them directly.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
