A NEW disability friendly crossing will be built outside the Ballarat Specialist School allowing some of the city’s most vulnerable children to cross the road safely.
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Parents have been campaigning for an all abilities crossing for years – concerned that the crossing at Gillies and Sturt street intersection is too far for many students to walk. The new pedestrian crossing, welcomed by principal Kim Yearwood, will have a larger kerb to protect students while they stand, and ensure students using wheelchairs are catered for.
The crossing will have protective heritage-style fencing in the centre median and will have appropriate sounds so it can be easily used by vision impaired students and community members.
The crossing will not be supervised at this stage and the existing roundabout at the aquatic centre will not be removed. VicRoads acting planning manager Brad Pryor said lights at the crossing would be activated by the pedestrians, reducing traffic build up. He said VicRoads would analyse traffic in the area and potentially remove the roundabout in the future.