A BLIND corner in Nowra is a ticking time-bomb for serious injuries, according to a local resident.
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George Perkins from Currarong said the footpath on the corner of the Princes Highway and Junction Street at the Shoalhaven Ex-Servicemen’s Club was a clear and present danger.
“People on bikes come tearing around that corner all the time. It’s a very busy footpath and I’m worried an elderly person might be collected on their way around the club or someone with a small child or pram could run into trouble,” Mr Perkins said.
“I’ve nearly been taken out myself.
“I suggest there are signs put up near the corner that say ‘Beware of cyclists’ or something so people take care around there.
“The people riding their bikes never use their bells and they should, so I can see something terrible happening.”
A few years ago, Mr Perkins lobbied to have something done about the car park entrance to the Ex-Servicemen’s Club, which he found confusing for pedestrians and motorists.
“Because the entrance is so close to the turn onto the highway, people would use their blinkers to turn on the highway early and drivers or pedestrians from the club would think they were turning into the car park,” he said. As a result barricades were erected at the car park’s entrance.
Mr Perkins said he hoped speaking about these new concerns would have a similar impact.
“At the moment, this corner is a trap,” he said.
Shoalhaven City Council Road Safety Officer Kathy Wiseham said all pathways in the Nowra CBD were footpaths.
“This means the only people that are allowed to ride their bicycle on the footpath are children and adults accompanying children under the age of 12,” she said.
“Consequently as this is the law, it is cost prohibitive to put warning signs on every footpath warning pedestrians of cyclists legally allowed to use the footpath.
“[The footpath in question] is not a shared pathway and police are the authority to keep cyclists off the path, along with fining those who do not wear helmets.”
Ms Wiseham said the CBD had no shared pathways. However, there were shared pathways leading out of the CBD including the bridge over the Shoalhaven River, along Yalwal Road to the University of Wollongong Shoalhaven Campus, Albatross Road to HMAS Albatross and the new cycleway along the Princes Highway in South Nowra.
“The shared pathway in South Nowra was built with cyclists in mind,” Ms Wiseham said.
“If a cyclist chose to use the road they are still legally allowed to whether there is a shared pathway. However, it is illegal for a cyclist to use the roadway when there is a dedicated cycle lane on the road – in South Nowra there is not a dedicated cycle lane on the road.”