Seven notorious Canberra black spots to be fixed

I and fellow residents have been lobbying for traffic calming measures in our street, a popular inner north ‘rat run’, for years. Letters to ‘Fix My Street’ website and to relevant ministers have produced no result (unless you call a response telling you to write back in 60 days if nothing has been done a ‘result’).
Also, how about literal ‘black spots’, i.e. the dark of our extremely ill-lit streets. Walking in some older suburbs on these autumn evenings is pretty hairy given the appallingly ineffective street lighting, the speed and carelessness with which some people drive and the badly maintained state of the footpaths.

Good to see these are now getting addressed.

I noticed they have finally started to install lights on Sternberg Crescent ,Wanniassa, a street that featured twice in the list of worst crash sites (has had three deaths over recent years) and it is a suburban road that sees an incredible “9,400 vehicles per day just on the section of Sternberg Crescent near the Erindale Shopping Centre”. That’s busier than some dual lane main roads in Belconnen.

Some Tuggers riotactors might be interested in background on this road so see the links below.

Next just needs to be some resolution to the crazy busy roads and terrible parking around Erindale (and especially all the restaurant zone which is a shocker for pedestrians and drivers)

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberras-worst-roads-for-crashes-revealed-20150210-13as5d.html

http://www.tccs.act.gov.au/roads-paths/traffic/residential-street-improvement-program/sternberg-crescent,-wanniassa

I am all for improving intersection safety but I am not sure how effective the measures will be for the suggested improvements at the Ellenborough/Barton Highway entrance.
I am a regular user of this road, either on motorcycle or 4WD.
It appears the main collisions between vehicles here are due to drivers turning right from Barton Hwy onto Ellenborough misjudging the speed and closing distance of vehicles coming doen the hill from Kaleen.
I regularly get ready to either slow or even stop when approaching this intersection on my way from Kaleen to Nth Lyneham to avoid vehicles turning in front of me.
Drivers stopped at the Give Way sign suddenly shoot out across Ellenborough often with less than a car’s width between them. When they get it wrong the collision occurs.
By putting speed cushions on the Barton Hwy entrance road will not reduce these collisions at all as the cross vehicles have usually stopped anyway at the Give Way sign.
Installing the cushions on Ellenborough may slow that traffic somewhat but as a motorcycle rider I would be concerned about the positioning of them on downhill corner.

I think this is a great idea.
I would however be interested to see the statistics on accidents on the corner of Cowper St and Majura Ave.
Have just moved to the area and seems to be a frequent occurrence.

This project sounds like a good idea. I also like roundabouts. Is it possible to nominate a potential roundabout to replace a traffic light or give way intersection? I have often been stuck at a ‘red’ traffic light with low traffic and thought to myself ‘a roundabout would fix this’.
Thanks 🙂

I note that speed “cushions” have recently been installed on Bugden Avenue Fadden between Nicklin Crescent and Coyne Street. They are a little bit wider than normal which stops the large 4WDs and busses straddling them. The distance between the sets is too far I believe.

They also have a plastic fence between them so motor cyclists (and electric bike riders) , beware.