13 September 2012

Shared Zones - Give Way!

| creative_canberran
Join the conversation
17

It’s very clear Canberra drivers don’t know what Shared Zones are. I’ve witnessed more than a few close calls, including very often between the National Library and Questacon where drivers barrel through at speed, failing to give way. Today one driver slammed on the brakes and proceeded to gesture frustration at those crossing the road.

So a reminder to drivers “when driving in a Shared Zone, give way to all pedestrians and keep to the 10 kilometres per hour speed limit.”

(And to Treasury staff who constantly jaywalk on the corner of King Edward Tce and Parkes Pl against the red pedestrian signal, and who cross just outside the shared zone, surely you of all people would be aware of the need to reduce the burden on ComCare).

Join the conversation

17
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

Belco77 said :

The author seems to think a shared zone is a pedestrian crossing; I don’t think that’s right.

I read the road rules. Don’t ‘think’, read.

I don’t stop for pedestrians on the national library/questacon shared zone. I drive slow and if there’s a pedestrian I react to what they do, Saigon-style. if they step onto the road, I stop. but they generally wait for me to pass. Whatever happens, I don’t get angry.

The author seems to think a shared zone is a pedestrian crossing; I don’t think that’s right.

shared zones in CBR are a joke. see also: Childers st.

worst design for a shared zone ever?

Canberrans and shared zones simply aren’t a good mix..It’s a new idea we haven’t quite gotten used to and if the ‘shared’ zone just near the Family court/ANU is any example there is a near miss there hourly. When I drive through there half the time pedestrians wait for me to pass or simply walk out in front..Make it a crossing or be done with it!

Masquara said :

c_c: “surely you of all people would be aware of the need to reduce the burden on ComCare”.

Um what burden? Comcare doesn’t cover walking to and from work …

Travelling between home and ordinary place of work is excluded.

If someone though could make a successful claim for hitting their head on a light fitting, I’m willing to bet they could successfully claim for the walk to and from lunch, or as Comcare puts it, ordinary recess.

It’s an all round ridiculous concept. The only way it could work is if they painted the entire road like a zebra crossing.

c_c: “surely you of all people would be aware of the need to reduce the burden on ComCare”.

Um what burden? Comcare doesn’t cover walking to and from work …

Yep, deadly serious. They just started appearing, didn’t they? Along with the assumption that everyone knew – or would correctly guess – the rules/etiquette. And for the most part, there’s no problems. Until there is.

shirty_bear said :

I would put it to you that it’s unclear to many – maybe most – what the rules are in a shared zone. Or even if there are any.

Typically, a driver learns the ins and out of the road rules at licence-getting time. Potentially decades ago. Shared zones – did they exist then? I think not. So now they spring up. So what? Are they footpaths we’re allowed to drive on? Are they unmarked crossings? Are they official-looking paved-but-not-really non-crossings? Roads where pedestrians actually have right of way?
I haven’t absorbed the answers by osmosis and never gave a big enough crap to go find out.

Yes, commonsense says take it easy, and look out for pedestrians. Apart from the fact that this should be standard operating procedure anyway, there’s at least two problems:
1. Commonsense ain’t all that common
2. What, in fact, are the rules?

They seem to be a dumb idea.

Not sure if you are serious but shared zones mean that cars must give way to any and all pedestrians, you generally can’t stop or park unless there is a sign permitting, the zone can apply to an area and not just one specific road and the speed limit is whatever is specified in the zone (usually around 10 or 20km/h).

You are probably right that shared zones weren’t around much or at all ten or twenty years ago but that is more an argument for regular retesting r(even theory) rather than getting rid of shared zones.

There are some very good road designs that use shared zones and traffic is physically slowed so much that it is clear to most drivers that pedestrians have right of way.

Gungahlin Al3:55 pm 13 Sep 12

shirty_bear said :

I would put it to you that it’s unclear to many – maybe most – what the rules are in a shared zone. Or even if there are any.

Typically, a driver learns the ins and out of the road rules at licence-getting time. Potentially decades ago. Shared zones – did they exist then? I think not. So now they spring up. So what? Are they footpaths we’re allowed to drive on? Are they unmarked crossings? Are they official-looking paved-but-not-really non-crossings? Roads where pedestrians actually have right of way?
I haven’t absorbed the answers by osmosis and never gave a big enough crap to go find out.

Yes, commonsense says take it easy, and look out for pedestrians. Apart from the fact that this should be standard operating procedure anyway, there’s at least two problems:
1. Commonsense ain’t all that common
2. What, in fact, are the rules?

They seem to be a dumb idea.

While I can appreciate where you are coming from, I tend to think the signs at each end saying “10kph Shared Zone” would give a driver something of a clue…?

I would put it to you that it’s unclear to many – maybe most – what the rules are in a shared zone. Or even if there are any.

Typically, a driver learns the ins and out of the road rules at licence-getting time. Potentially decades ago. Shared zones – did they exist then? I think not. So now they spring up. So what? Are they footpaths we’re allowed to drive on? Are they unmarked crossings? Are they official-looking paved-but-not-really non-crossings? Roads where pedestrians actually have right of way?
I haven’t absorbed the answers by osmosis and never gave a big enough crap to go find out.

Yes, commonsense says take it easy, and look out for pedestrians. Apart from the fact that this should be standard operating procedure anyway, there’s at least two problems:
1. Commonsense ain’t all that common
2. What, in fact, are the rules?

They seem to be a dumb idea.

Gungahlin Al2:27 pm 13 Sep 12

Innovation said :

The problem is not that these areas are shared zones. The problem is that drivers don’t seem to realise they are in a shared zone or that they should give way to pedestrians and there are not enough obstacles on these roads to help them realise. Driving at 10km/h for thirty or forty meters (or even more) is no different to maneuvering in most carparks and doesn’t really make that much difference to a driver’s overall travel time.

I think that there should be a lot more shared zones around busy pedestrian areas with more single lane one way roads, chicanes and, less ideally, speed humps to make it impossible for drivers to get over about 10k’s.

+1

Not speed humps, speed cushions…speed cushions are the way to a safer Canberra.

They need a raised road, and zebra-crossing stripes over the entire thing. They also need chicanes to slow the traffic down, and some actual enforcement

Canberracanuck12:18 pm 13 Sep 12

Shared zones is a concept that doesn’t work for cars and pedestrians. There is lots of stuff on the web proving why…start here: http://cycalogical.blogspot.com.au/2010/12/shared-space.html

You need to prioritise for sustainable transport (walking) by discouraging driving (close the road to cars, make them go around the long way around) Too many people assume it does no harm to be allowed to go wherever and whenever they want by private car.

The problem is not that these areas are shared zones. The problem is that drivers don’t seem to realise they are in a shared zone or that they should give way to pedestrians and there are not enough obstacles on these roads to help them realise. Driving at 10km/h for thirty or forty meters (or even more) is no different to maneuvering in most carparks and doesn’t really make that much difference to a driver’s overall travel time.

I think that there should be a lot more shared zones around busy pedestrian areas with more single lane one way roads, chicanes and, less ideally, speed humps to make it impossible for drivers to get over about 10k’s.

That ‘Shared Zone’ outside the library is a joke. I can see no reason that it shouldn’t be turned into a pedestrian crossing – there are plenty of other wider than standard crossings around the place.

Yes, drivers should know what the shared zones mean, and yes, they should give way to pedestrians, but I guarantee you that the vast majority of near misses and gesticulating drivers will disappear if it was a pedestrian crossing.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.