Council has rejected a proposal to permanently close the intersection of Pickles Street with Bridge and Glover Streets. The council has voted to terminate the trial and remove the temporary barriers (pictured). 

The decision was contentious as Council Officers reported positive trial results while residents advocated for a better solution to improve safety and manage traffic flow at this intersection in the interests of all users and manage traffic speed in Pickles Street. 

Officers reported the trial to be successful in reducing recorded crashes, without significantly changing traffic volumes in the adjacent local road network.

Residents on the other hand reported vehicles being driven over the median closure, making unsafe U turns at either end of the median closure to access both Bridge and Glover Streets, ‘Keep left’ signs being knocked down and increased danger for cyclists and pedestrians crossing the road at the median strip. It was surprising that none of these dangerous behaviours were acknowledged in the evaluation report.

Council Officers have been requested to provide the timeline for the removal of the safety temporary closure.  

Councillors voted against recommendation to make the median closure permanent at the intersection with the vote split as follows.

For: Cr Baxter, Cr Bond, Martin and Pearl

Against: Crs Crawford, Clark, Cusnsolo, Sirakoff 

Abstained: Cr Nyaguy

The motion was lost because the Mayor used her casting vote.