Council pushes button on manual pedestrian crossing return

Infrastructure committee chairman David McLachlan confirmed the council had switched its traffic system back to normal at the end of 2020, saying Brisbane had “progressively and safely returned to more typical ways of life”.

“While ‘no-touch’ signals at crossings were suitable at the height of the pandemic, there were negative impacts on traffic flow, increased noise complaints and reports of motorists running red lights,” Cr McLachlan said.

“Prior to COVID operations, many crossing signals were automated during business hours, then manual during non-business hours.”

In the CBD, 68 crossings that were automated before the pandemic would remain automated day and night, Cr McLachlan said.