AS TRUCKS barrel past at 60 kilometres an hour, Dudley Public School kids run the guantlet trying to cross Ocean Street in time to catch their favourite cartoons on telly.
Most parents aren't brave enough to let their kids walk or ride to school, those that do breathe a sigh of relief with each beat-up jogger that crosses the threshold.
It's a matter of time until someone gets hurt, local mother Robyn Simpson said.
She and other parents have long asked Lake Macquarie City Council (LMCC) to install a pedestrian island between John Street and Redhead Road.
"This is one of the worst locations that I've ridden across the Lake Macquarie district in terms of car density and poor infrastructure," she said.
"What we are asking for isn't a lot, we're not asking for a Fernleigh Track here, we're just asking for an island in the middle of the road to be able to use what is the verge basically as a functional track.
"It's really difficult for kids to navigate, they don't have the decision-making ability to know that a car is turning right, one is going straight so a lane is going to be occupied.
"That's beyond almost me."
A simple stroll along the rocky, uneven sides of Ocean Street are difficult for a fully-abled person to navigate.
Kids can wait up to 10 minutes for a gap to cross, as they contend with traffic coming from both sides of Ocean Street and joining from Redhead Road.
Karen Buckner is a long-term Dudley resident, she's even suggested crowd-funding a footpath in and out of the town centre.
"The issue is I'm sure the council thinks it's a great idea but it's not a priority for them," she said.
"We see it is a real priority, this can't wait for 20 years - it can't, someone is going to get hit or something is going to happen."
A council spokesman said it is aware of the community's requests.
"Council is currently undertaking significant improvement works at the existing pedestrian crossing on Ocean Street, outside Dudley Public School," he said.
"Pedestrians are encouraged to cross at a location where they can see clearly in both directions to ensure adequate time is available to cross safely."
The works closer to the school include raising the crossing, reducing the crossing width and improving accessibility.
He said the council's Walking, Cycling and Better Streets Strategy identified improvements to the existing crossing at the school as the highest priority.
"Other infrastructure, such as additional footpaths on Ocean Street, have been reviewed in the strategy," he said.
