For safety reasons, the pedestrian crossing on the Sinserstrasse will not be marked again

The pedestrian crossing at the "Matten" intersection in the municipality of Hünenberg will remain unmarked. The crossing, which is on a school path, must be improved with appropriate measures, however.

In the past, children used the pedestrian crossing on the Sinserstrasse when going to school and returning home. After the renovation of the cantonal road between Cham and Hünenberg, however, the pedestrian crossing at the "Matten" intersection was removed. An external report by the Swiss Federal Office for Accident Prevention (BFU) has now expressed safety concerns regarding the crossing, and thereby confirms the decision of the Safety and Construction Directorate (Sicherheits- und Baudirektion) to not re-mark the crossing. This was announced by the Safety Directorate last Thursday.

The independent report by the BFU was commissioned by the Safety Directorate. In the report, the advisory body recommends not marking pedestrian crossings for safety reasons. The best possible safety for pedestrians and possible cyclists crossing the road is achieved by the central island as a crossing aid and the newly installed LED lighting.

Speed checks planned at the crossing
The BFU report recommends additional measures to improve road safety. These will be implemented by the Safety Directorate and the Construction Directorate.

The removed pedestrian crossing at the Matten junction in Hünenberg will not be replaced             Photo       : PD/Kanton Zug

According to measurements, the maximum speed of 60 kilometres per hour is frequently exceeded at the location in question (a non-urban area). For this reason, the Zug police are planning to install speed displays and to also check vehicle speeds, while the two directorates will examine how the crossing of the road can be improved for pedestrians. The BFU recommends additional road markings and the cutting back of hedges. The canton will continue to exchange information with the municipality of Hünenberg, the statement  continued.

The BFU report also states that the crossing in question for children of kindergarten and primary school age should not be carried out on their own due to the traffic volumes and the complexity of the junction. The BFU therefore recommends applying appropriate measures. Ensuring a safe path to school is the responsibility of the municipality, and the canton will also approach the latter in this regard.

Residents were concerned
Following the renovation of the Sinserstrasse, the Safety and Construction departments came to the conclusion that the crossing with the central island would offer more safety for pedestrians if the former pedestrian crossing was not re-marked. This position is based on Switzerland-wide findings and the applicable standards and guidelines in the Road Traffic Law.

The crossing is used by children on their way to school, and concerned residents thereby demanded that the pedestrian crossing be marked again. As a result, the Safety Directorate had the situation reviewed again by an independent body, the BFU. It has now informed the residents about the results of the investigation and about the further procedure.