Making our city cycling and pedestrian friendly means giving priority to cyclists and pedestrians. Crossing the road should not be a hard thing to do but all too often it is. Priortiy crossings are essential on CBR Cycle Routes but still not common.
Types of crossings
The ACT active travel standards include crossing for both cyclists and pedestrians. Zebra crossing are a priority crossing, as are children’s crossings at schools.
Path Priority crossing – A crossing type that includes Give Way or Stop sign control to give priority to pedestrians and cyclists over motor vehicles.
Active Travel Facilities Design – Municipal Infrastructure Standards 05 (MIS05) (ACT Government, April 2019)
Path priority crossings are still rare in Canberra but are found on Sulivan’s Creek bike path and the Belconnen Bikeway. Examples from the Belconnen Bikeway are shown below.
What are Priority crossings?
All CBR Cycle Routes (both Principal Cycle Routes and Main Cycle Routes) should be made priority crossings on all but major streets where the intersection is likely to be signalised (traffic lights). The CBR Cycle Routes are currently being signed. They will be easier to identify in the future.
Both entrance roads to the University of Canberra off College Street have now priority crossings. Hopefully, we will see these CBR Cycle Route C5 signs where the path crosses Redfern Street and Lyttleton Crescent, too.
Priority crossings are not just wonderful but also have great symbolic value and therefore serve as community education tools. They signal top down buy-in and visble sponsorship support. You can read more about them here.
canberra.bike 