NO GO ZONE: Jan Hayes says the crossing on the corner of Kite Street and Lords Place is one of many in Orange where pedestrians cannot safely cross the street.
AN Orange woman says crossing the road in streets in the central busines district (CBD)is dangerous with a lack of safe crossing areas putting pedestrians at risk.
“I don’t own a car and I walk everywhere or occasionally I catch a taxi,” said Jan Hayes.
“But there are places in Orange where it is impossible to cross the road without being in danger of being run down,”she said.
“Orange is not pedestrian friendly.”
Ms Hayes says she is not surprised by the recent story in the Central Western Daily saying Orange has the highest pedestrian injuries in the region.
“I know drivers have to watch out for pedestrians, but we have to watch out for them too.
“If you’re trying to cross near a roundabout they [drivers] often don’t indicate, and the intersection on the corner of Kite Street and Lords Place is a classic example of that.
“You think they are going straight ahead because they haven’t got an indicator on and the next thing a car has turned the corner and they are on you,” she said.
The Central Western Daily timed vehicles turning left from Kite Street into Lords Place and Ms Hayes had only three seconds to get from the western footpath to the centre refuge between approaching vehicles.
Ms Hayes said Orange central business district is so poorly planned as a shared space she plans her day around traffic flow.
“I volunteer at St Vincent de Paul and I just have to pick my times to get across the streets so it’s early in the morning,” she said.
Ms Hayes has identified Byng Street as the worst street in the CBD saying it is lacking in safe crossing areas.
“It is the worst in the CBD as the only pedestrian crossing is outside the Catholic Primary School.