Residents in a beachside neighbourhood are calling for a safety upgrade along an increasingly busy road.
Almost 80 community members around Wurley Drive have signed a petition to Sunshine Coast Council calling for action along the 500m stretch.
They say there has been a “surge in pedestrian and vehicle activity” on the east-west road that comes off busy Nicklin Way.
To its south is an established residential area at Wurtulla. To its north is a new development including residences, restaurants and parks at Bokarina Beach.
“Families, children riding bikes to Kawana Waters State College, and weekend visitors are regularly crossing Wurley Drive, which lacks adequate safety infrastructure,” they said.
“We believe a raised safety crossing would greatly improve pedestrian safety and help calm traffic in this increasingly busy corridor.”
They believed some motorists were flouting the 50km/h speed limit.
“The short stretch of Wurley Drive has become a hotspot for speeding vehicles, with some drivers appearing to use it as a place to test their speed over a short distance,” they said.
“A raised safety crossing would greatly improve pedestrian safety and encourage responsible driving.”
The petition was also shared on change.org.
Petitioner Jonathan Layfield, who lives on nearby Kulanda Street, said motorists were leaving Nicklin Way to take shortcuts through suburban streets.
“Everyone from Minyama through to Currimundi is aware of how horrible the traffic is on Nicklin Way,” he said.
“Since the introduction of multiple high-rise buildings within the Bok Beach community, specifically over the past three years, the traffic has significantly increased in the corridor of Wurley Drive and Baroona Street down to Moondara Drive.
“As cars veer off Nicklin Way onto Wurley Drive, they quickly accelerate to speeds appearing to near 70km/h, despite the built-up area limit of 50km/h.”
Signs reminding motorists of the speed limit were installed along Baroona Street earlier this year, but Mr Layfield said a raised crossing on Wurley Drive was also required.
“While a standard zebra crossing could be beneficial, the unique traffic patterns on Wurley Drive necessitate a more robust solution to achieve the desired safety outcomes for the community,” he said.
He said the T-intersection of Wurley Drive and Baroona Street posed “significant challenges for pedestrians”.
“The constant flow of people attempting to cross makes it particularly difficult for children on bikes, parents with prams, and families with young children,” he said.
“This section is notably busy due to its immediate access to Bok Beach, via Quiver Street, and the convenience it offers for reaching other parts of the community including the link to the under-bridge footpath at Bok Beach connecting to Kawana Waters College, Sunshine Coast Stadium and various local amenities like playgrounds, cafes, and restaurants.”
Councillor Tim Burns acknowledged the rapid growth in the area, along with the locals’ concerns.
“This area of Bokarina Beach and Wurtulla has really developed quite significantly over the last five years,” he said.
“There is a lot of traffic, broadly, through Nicklin Way and people seek to avoid that by taking some rat runs through some of those side streets.
“So, the (raised crossing) request is reasonable in light of what’s happening in that area and I’m glad the community has come forward in a united way.”
A Sunshine Coast Council spokesperson said the petition has been referred to the CEO “for consideration and appropriate action”.
The aerial imagery in this story is from Australian location intelligence company Nearmap. The company provides government organisations, architectural, construction and engineering firms, and other companies, with easy, instant access to high-resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D content, artificial intelligence data sets, and geospatial tools to assist with urban planning, monitoring and development projects in Australia, New Zealand and North America.
