Getting out of Hackett sucks. ACT Gov to the rescue!

ACTPLA seem to have just put up the DA for Phillip Ave/Majura Ave intersection works.

“Proposal: PUBLIC WORKS-ROADS. Upgrade of the Phillip Avenue and Majura Avenue intersection to signalisation including pavement widening; new footpaths; services relocation and removal of 3 trees. Open for public comment until 31/03/11.”

Looks like they’re finally getting on with it..

http://www.actpla.act.gov.au/topics/your_say/comment/pubnote?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkZhcHBzLmFjdHBsYS5hY3QuZ292LmF1JTJGcHVibm90ZSUyRnB1Ym5vdGVEZXRhaWxfbmV3LmFzcCUzRkRBX25vJTNEMjAxMTE5NTc0JmFsbD0x

sepi said :

PS – I think a roundabout might do it.

I am not at all a fan of small roundabouts, but I think in this case it would be way more efficient than lights. And presumably cheaper?

I also do not understand why people keep going back every morning. There are alternative ways to go South. They are all fairly busy that time of the morning, but not nearly as frustrating as waiting to turn right for half an hour and getting annoyed with all the selfish pr!cks not letting anyone in.

The problem as I see it, isn’t so much people having trouble leaving Hackett, but rather they stupidly keep going back in again.

A year after the Canberra Times story about a traffic solution nothing has happened except the morning peak hour traffic in Hackett gets worse.

troll-sniffer said :

I can think of many lights in Canberra that could be turned off outside peak hours to everyone’s benefit. The most useless set of lights in all of Canberra, at Windeyer St and Philip Ave, would be an obvious choice. The lights on Limestone Ave and other suburban throughways of similar traffic patterns would work perfectly well as Give Way situations overnight and on weekends. Many other examples exist. I can’t see it happening in my lifetime though.

In fact there is a set of part-time lights controlling access on Athllon Drive to the Isabella Drive/Drakeford Drive/Athllon Drive roundabout in the evening peak. It controls the traffic coming out Tuggeranong Town Centre and allows the southbound traffic on Drakeford Drive a better run. It has been operating like that for several years.

sepi said :

Al – have you driven down this problem intersection during peak hour?

Traffic can already back up two blocks for the left turners, who have complete right of way. If you put a give way sign up (not sure where it will go either), then I agree with hackett council – anyone coming from the back half of Hackett will not ever get out.

Yes Sepi, I was one of those rat runners for a long time. And made the choice not to take up a house on Maitland specifically because it was a rat run. Remember that I have been campaigning to have this intersection fixed for years, first putting it to John Hargreaves in April 2007 – to no avail but big surprise that! (Nowadays when not cycling, I just use Northborne but turn the car off at the red lights…)

And I can attest that the left turns will clear easily. But isn’t is a serious indictment of how bad the problem has become when even the rat runs have become congested??

But the point of my post was that surely it warrants a trial? If I am wrong then the lights proceed – little lost.

If I am right though – $1,000,000 saved now, and many years of electricity costs avoided to boot.

Unfortunately I don’t think the installation of traffic lights at the top of Majura will stop the rat-running through Hackett. It will lessen it a bit, but motorists will still be jockeying for position at the intersection, half will still try and get a perceived advantage by turning left out of Hackett. Not only that, we will have another pointless set of lights running 24 hours a day to solve a problem that lasts for a couple of hours 5 times a week.

UNLESS the traffic engineers adopt a RADICAL solution never before seen in the world (except for most of Europe, Africa, South America and Asia that is) and make the lights only part time. Yes, despite the overwhelming consensus of Australian traffic engineers, the rest of the world have for years defied this perceived wisdom that lights must stay on 24/7. They have recklessly embraced a sensible policy that allows traffic lights to be turned off when not needed. The resulting carnage has to be seen to be believed, as motorists pass recklessly withing 20 metres of each other, some stopped as they are in a Give Way situation, others proceeding as though the lights weren’t there, and normal Give Way rules applied. I have seen it with my own eyes, unfortunately I didn’t have an iphone to record it as proof, but I think a goodly number of RiotAct readers would also have seen the idea in place, and would agree that it does work.

I can think of many lights in Canberra that could be turned off outside peak hours to everyone’s benefit. The most useless set of lights in all of Canberra, at Windeyer St and Philip Ave, would be an obvious choice. The lights on Limestone Ave and other suburban throughways of similar traffic patterns would work perfectly well as Give Way situations overnight and on weekends. Many other examples exist. I can’t see it happening in my lifetime though.

PS – I think a roundabout might do it.

Al – have you driven down this problem intersection during peak hour?

Traffic can already back up two blocks for the left turners, who have complete right of way. If you put a give way sign up (not sure where it will go either), then I agree with hackett council – anyone coming from the back half of Hackett will not ever get out.

Another Stanhope “fix” which will probably cause more problems than there currently is. If they had half a brain they would realise that there is a bigger problem that exists to make people detour from the main routes. If they put the other half of their brain together with the 1st half, they would realise sticking some traffic lights in isn’t going to be the magic fix it is claimed.

One day they will realise that developing new areas before putting in the necessary transport infrastructure does not work. Gungahlin Drive, Gundaroo Drive, Northbourne Ave are great examples of this, Horse Park Drive will likely be the next.