Pedestrian countdown timer to be trialled in Launceston, Hobart

The timers will show pedestrians how long they have left to cross some of the busiest streets.

Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding said the government wanted everyone to be safe on Tasmanian streets. 

“The data gained from this trial will be used to determine if and how the timers impacted pedestrian behaviour and how we can further improve safety at pedestrian crossings,” he said.

Timer rollouts will start on Monday, October 23. 

Countdown timers will be installed in Launceston at the intersection of St John and Brisbane Street, George and Brisbane Streets, and Wellington and Brisbane Streets. 

The sites were selected because of their high-volume foot traffic and no left or right turning vehicles. 

The new countdown timers will replace the flashing red person that means ‘don’t start to cross’, and will help pedestrians make more informed crossing decisions.

The green pedestrian light still indicates it’s safe to cross, and the static red pedestrian light still indicates that it is not safe to cross.

The trial will continue until the end of 2017 and is funded by the Road Safety Levy  under the Road Safety 2017-2019 Work Program. 

The announcement comes after two Northern residents were hit by cars this week. 

A teenager who was hit by a car on the West Tamar Highway on Friday remains in a stable condition. 

On Saturday, a Launceston General Hospital spokeswoman said the girl’s condition was not expected to change. 

The girl was on her way to school when she was struck by a car while crossing the highway near the Launceston Christian School. She was taken to hospital.

An elderly man died on Monday after he was hit by a car in the Launceston CBD while crossing the road. 

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