Image: example of a wombat crossing in NSW.
Cygnet will be a safer place to shop with a new pedestrian wombat crossing to be installed in March 2025.
Pedestrian safety within the Mary Street shopping precinct has been an ongoing concern in the community for many years, and Council, alongside the Department of State Growth have been working with the Cygnet community to deliver road safety improvements.
Council has been successful in obtaining a Tasmanian Government Vulnerable Road Users grant to install a wombat crossing in the Cygnet town center. The crossing will work in tandem with the recent speed reduction (from 50km/h to 40km/h) to increase the safety of pedestrians in the area.
A wombat crossing is a pedestrian (zebra) crossing on a raised platform which gives priority to pedestrians crossing the road.
The raised safety platform allows pedestrians to cross at the same level as the footpath without the need for kerb ramps. This reduces trip hazards and makes it easier and safer for people with reduced mobility.
It also acts like a speed hump, reducing vehicle travel speeds.
The wombat crossing will be located at the front of the Town Hall.
While Council worked to minimise parking loss in the design, 3 on-street parking spaces will need to be permanently removed to provide safe sight distance to oncoming vehicles.
Works will commence in early March and are expected to take around 2 weeks to complete. There will be some partial road closures during the works. Please follow the directions of signage and traffic controllers onsite.
We aim to keep traffic disruptions to a minimum and undertake work at night when possible.
For Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and information about the background and community consultation on this project visit Road Safety Improvements – Mary Street, Cygnet – Huon Valley Council