Willoughby City Council was awarded a Highly Commended for Excellence in Road Safety Engineering for the School Children Safety Wombat Crossing Program by the Institute of Public Works Engineers Australasian (IPWEA) State Conference in March 2023.
The program has seen 12 raised “wombat” pedestrian crossings installed including upgrades to 10 existing crossings and two new crossings.
Wombat crossings are located adjacent to schools or on routes used by school children to walk to school though Willoughby. They give pedestrians right of way and increase pedestrian visibility.
The elevated speed hump and 25km/h speed limit signs, help to ensure vehicles slow down and stop for all pedestrians including school children. The upgrade improves safety for all pedestrians both during and outside school zone times.
Willoughby’s wombat pedestrian crossing program has been funded through the Federal Stimulus School Zone Infrastructure Program, with funding of $1.95M received from both state and federal governments.