Speed zones along Shore and Ford streets will drop permanently from 50 km/h to 30 km/h and will come into effect on Monday 1 November 2021.
This will see Moruya as the first regional town in NSW to adopt a 30 km/h speed zone
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said the new 30kph zone along Shore and Ford Street was "to make it safer for pedestrians to shop and enjoy the town, particularly during the upcoming summer holidays" “The new speed will come into effect on Monday 1 November 2021 and will make a walk to the stunning Moruya waterfront or to enjoy the markets at Riverside Park an easier, more leisurely experience.” Eurobodalla Shire’s Director of Infrastructure Services Warren Sharpe OAM said Council has been proactive in shifting the focus to foot traffic in the town centre.
‘We wanted to bring about a positive change within the Moruya CBD to make the town safer and more walkable,” Mr Sharpe said.
“After discussion with the Moruya Chamber, we’ve implemented simple, cost effective pedestrian and vehicle slow points to produce a slower and safer environment for our community.
“We’re really pleased that Transport for NSW has decided to make Moruya the first regional town to adopt the 30 km/h speed zone.
The new zone is said to "complement Eurobodalla Shire Council’s other work to improve pedestrian safety in Moruya’s town centre including raised pedestrian crossings on Ford Street and a roundabout at the Ford Lane intersection."
In the 650 metres of Shore Street and Ford Street the Eurobodalla Council now has a raised pedestrian crossing (known as a Wombat Crossing) at 110m along the route followed by a roundabout at 260m, another raised pedestrian crossing at 350m, a roundabout at 400m and another at 550m along the 650m route before it arrives at another roundabout on the Princes Highway.
The decision has come as a surprise to Moruya residents who have learnt that there was no consultation about the impost other than Mr Sharpe saying "After discussion with the Moruya Chamber, we’ve implemented simple, cost effective pedestrian and vehicle slow points to produce a slower and safer environment for our community."
Council's intention of adding even more bumps on Moruya town roads comes following the decision to modify the two school crossings outside St Mary’s Primary School in Church Street and Queen Street converting them to become permanent (zebra) raised pedestrian priority crossings, known as wombat crossings.
Council say "Appropriately located wombat crossings provide an improvement on these existing school crossings. Benefits include a slowing of vehicular traffic along the street at the crossing point, and the requirement for the schools to manage the flags on the crossing is removed. The existing school crossing facilities will be modified to include raised (road hump) platforms with signage and streetlighting enhancement to increase pedestrian prominence and encourage motorists to reduce speed on approach. The crossings will be similar to those recently installed in Shore Street and Ford Street as part of the Moruya CBD pedestrian activation program. In addition, a third wombat crossing will be installed on Mirrabooka Avenue at the intersection of Page Street. This will facilitate a safer path of travel for students walking to and from school. All three wombat crossings are within the 40kmh school zone".
The decision to be the first rural Council in NSW to impose a 30kph zone in a town centre based on a "Captain's Call" and a chat with two members of a local Chamber of Commerce opens up the prospect that other CBD streets might soon follow.
North Street, Perry Street, Clyde Street, Orient Street, Flora Court are all Council controlled streets in the Bay that meet the criteria of high pedestrian traffic.
In Moruya there is no reason why Council now won't impose a similar speed zone on Church Street and Queen Street for the same reasons of improving the pedestrian experience.
Councillor Anthony Mayne, Chair of the Local Traffic Committee, wasn't available for a comment and an explanation as to why the decision didn't come through the Traffic Committee agenda for community response.
