Board chairman Trevor Hazell wrote to Orange City Council asking for a crossing, or a refuge as an alternative, as well as No Stopping signs on either side of the driveway. 

“When there are concerts, many patrons access the car park at the end of Little Summer Street,” he said.

“When crossing Hill Street, they encounter difficulties due to traffic congestion and poor lighting at the Hill Street entrance.”

Mr Hazell also asked for better lighting at the entrance and repainting faded lines down the laneway and inside the conservatorium’s car park.

The City of Orange Traffic Committee consented to the lighting and acknowledged the sight issues cars parking on either side of the driveway could cause.

MAP: Where the affected area is …

The committee also acknowledged Hill Street was 26 metres wide and while pedestrians should cross at the designated crossing point at the Summer Street roundabout, they often took the more direct route.

Because Hill Street is listed on Orange’s Active Travel Plan as a cycle route, the committee recommended painting a bicycle shoulder, which would narrow the main traffic lanes to 3.25 metres and improve sight lines for pedestrians. 

“The ‘effective’ road crossing width would only be 10 metres, rather than 26 metres,” the report said.

The committee also reminded the conservatorium it was responsible for maintenance as part of its peppercorn lease agreement and it would have to complete any necessary linemarking. 

Traffic committee chairman Russell Turner said the real solution would come when the conservatorium moved to the Civic Centre, along with a planetarium, but the changes would improve the situation in the meantime.

“Hill Street doesn’t have the traffic volumes for a pedestrian crossing,” he said. 

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