Nervous pedestrians in Cobar have always shared their main street with the heavy vehicles that crisscross the country along the Barrier Highway.

Now, with the introduction of a new 40km/h High Pedestrian Activity Area (HPAA) zone in the Central Business District (CBD), Cobar hopes to make the street safer.

The new 40km/h zone became official on 1 December and covers the area of Marshall Street - which turns into the Barrier Highway at both ends of town – between Bourke and Lewis streets, as well as sections of Bourke, Barton and Linsley streets which intersect with Marshall Street.

The section of Cobar that the HPAA zone applies too [Image: Cobar Shire Council]

This change was initiated in 2019 by the Local Traffic Committee as part of the 40HPAA Program and involved a lengthy consultation and implementation process with Transport NSW.

“The Barrier Highway is also a significant NSW freight route connecting the east and west of Australia and there are significant numbers of heavy vehicles passing through the town centres as there are no freight vehicle alternatives", said Transport for NSW Regional Director West, Alistair Lunn.

“In both towns there are a mix of residential houses, retail, hospitality, banking and other businesses which naturally attract high numbers of pedestrians,” Mr Lunn said.

The new 40km HPAA activity sign on Marshall St, near Bourke St

[Image: E. Datson]

“The introduction of a HPAA is a proactive approach to lower speeds that heighten driver awareness of pedestrians accessing retail and social services in the area, and reducing severity, should accidents occur" Mr Lunn said.

Councillor Lillian Simpson, is happy with the introduction of the 40km HPAA in Cobar's CBD.

"A good idea, that has been a long time coming ... I'm glad we have it," she said.

"I certainly never step onto that pedestrian crossing on Marshall St, unless I can hear the brakes of the big truck that is barrelling down the street."

The Transport NSW Centre for Road Safety has undertaken research and found that 40 km/h speed limits in high pedestrian areas were effective in improving safety, with a reduction of approximately 33 percent in crashes causing fatalities and serious injuries.

A vehicle that hits a pedestrian at 50km/h is twice as likely to cause a fatality as the same vehicle travelling at 40km/h.

Cobar locals have high hopes that will help improve their safety when crossing Marshall St because the big semi-trailers are certainly very intimidating when you are trying to cross the street.

A pedestrian waits to cross Marshall St, as the semi-trailer travelling up the street did not have time to stop at the pedestrian crossing [Image E.Datson]