How Kerbs and Gutters Benefit Your Neighbourhood

Older neighbourhoods often have little boundary between the street and people's property, and footpaths are not always present. You may hear that your neighbourhood is scheduled for kerb and gutter installation and wonder how it will change how the street looks. While it will change how the street looks, that's not the main point of the project. Kerbs and gutters increase safety both in terms of physical safety and storm and flood safety. When the kerbs and gutters are installed, the neighbourhood will be better off.

Providing Protection for Pedestrians

A raised kerb does two things; help channel runoff and help stop cars from jumping up on the footpath or onto people's property. A speeding car that faces no barriers can barrel up onto a footpath, hitting people easily and potentially killing them. A car that hits a kerb is more likely to be stopped; even if the car is not stopped, it should be slowed down enough by the kerb to make the impact less severe. And if there is no footpath, the kerb still helps protect property. Would you rather a car hit the kerb or your tree at the edge of your yard?

Creating Better Drainage for Runoff

The kerb and gutter both serve to channel water toward stormwater drains instead of letting it flow wherever it wants to go. This reduces flooding on properties and helps keep streets a little clearer of water. The angle formed where the kerb and gutter meet tends to be a little lower than the rest of the street, allowing water in the middle of the street to flow more easily over to the side. While gutters can still flood, mainly due to clogged or full stormwater drains, those incidents are not that common if the drain is maintained properly and the drains aren't flooded from severe storms.

Developing Better Boundaries for Street Parking

After years in your neighbourhood, you may know exactly how to park so that your car doesn't block the road and doesn't go up onto people's landscaping if you have to leave it in the street. Not everyone will know that though; new residents and guests likely end up parking a little too far to either side With kerbs and gutters, though, they'll have better visual marks to follow. The kerb and gutter create clearer boundaries.

If you have questions about kerbs and gutters, contact your council. They've likely contracted with a civil works firm to plan and complete the project.