We continue to advocate for improved pedestrian conditions on North Terrace, and sent this letter to the new Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Sandy Verschoor.

Key extracts of the letter are below, or view the full letter.

In 2019 our priority actions will focus around pedestrian safety in areas with high vehicle traffic.

As you would be aware the majority of pedestrian casualty crashes occur in the city centre and North Adelaide. We congratulate you on your commitment to support 40km/h throughout the city.

It is with this in mind that we write to you with our concerns with the conditions for pedestrians on North Terrace, particularly at the western end now that the New Royal Adelaide Hospital has opened.

As I am sure you are aware, there is a much higher level of pedestrian activity here since the hospital has opened. Also with heavier flows of traffic at the West Terrace/North Terrace intersection as a result of the hospital, we are concerned with implications for pedestrian safety, both at the intersection and further east.

Due to a lack of formal crossing points, pedestrians are put at risk when crossing 5 traffic lanes and 2 tram tracks over North Terrace to get to SAHMRI and nRAH. Then being penalised by sparodic punitive police measures.

We do not think that this is satisfactory, particularly given the extremely long “green man” wait times (over three minutes at times) that are endured by people walking across the West Tee-North Terrace lights (Needless to say, people walking into the area from the Park Lands and crossing West Terrace as well have much longer to wait).

We note that Council’s approval of the Mini sterial DPA for the hospital provided for lights at a pedestrian crossing at Gray Street. This was to cater for people walking between bus stops on Currie Street and the new medical and university precinct. This is yet to appear. While this would be valuable , pedestrians also need a less time-consum ing way to cross at West Terrace.

We understand that Council is working with the State government on a plan to upgrade the public realm along the western half of North Terrace. We commend this and hope that plans can be turned into firm action quickly.

Nevertheless, we cannot wait for the necessarily lengthy and delayed processes involved in a major transformation of North Terrace and call on Council to provide safe, convenient pedestrian crossings of North Terrace immediately, in advance of upgrades to the overall public realm.