1 February 2011

Funding annouced to fix ACT's worst black spots.

| Genie
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The front page of the Canberra Times reports the the Federal Government has annouced more than $700,000 in funding to fix the five most dangerous black spots around Canberra.

More than $700,000 will be spent to fix the five most dangerous black spots on Canberra’s roads.

The locations, which were revealed at the weekend by the Sunday Canberra Times, have seen 317 crashes between them over the past five years.

The funding was announced by the Federal Government yesterday, with $713,105 invested directly into road and signage improvements at the five spots.

The five spots are:

    1. The intersection of Drakeford, Isabella and Athllon drives, responsible for almost 60% of the crash recieves the least funding of just $32,675.
    2. Mugga Lane and Long Gully Road intersection, which has seen 23 crashes over the past five years will reciev $245,250.
    3. Anzac Parade and Blamey Crescent, responsible for 39 crashes, will receive $200,000 for new traffic lights
    4. Ginninderra and Tillyard drives intersection, the location of 35 crashes, will receive $166,210 for signage and concrete island improvements.
    5. The intersection between Belconnen Way and Springvale Drive at Hawker will receive $68,970 for better signage.

These are supposedly the top 5 black spots in Canberra. I can sure think of several other intersections that would top the list. But hey who is to mess with Gov’Ment stats.

Thoughts ?

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+ heaps
I go through this intersection twice daily.
My understanding from someone who has lived here their life, is that this intersection HAD lights that were removed and the roundablout put in.

buzz819 said :

Unfortunately, the only way to fix the intersection of Athllone, Isabella and Drakeford Drives, is to get rid of the roundabout all together like they did at Russell.

It is stupid, people are stupid, put stupid people in a stupid spot, people are gonna get hurt.

That is gonna be a lot more then $33,000.

Maybe get rid of the roundabout and have four sets of traffic lights??

hollow_man said :

3. Anzac Parade and Blamey Crescent, responsible for 39 crashes, will receive $200,000 for new traffic lights

How can you not see all the way down those large 3 lanes that are normally empty right the way to the roundabout? Surely there are better uses for 200k?

I go through that intersection on weekdays and have seen a large number of near misses with cars coming across from the Reid side who are waiting in the middle of the road to turn *right* down towards the lake forgetting that they don’t have right-of-way over cars coming from the Campbell side who are turning *left* towards the lake.

3. Anzac Parade and Blamey Crescent, responsible for 39 crashes, will receive $200,000 for new traffic lights

How can anyone crash there, without being a complete idiot?!

3. Anzac Parade and Blamey Crescent, responsible for 39 crashes, will receive $200,000 for new traffic lights

How can you not see all the way down those large 3 lanes that are normally empty right the way to the roundabout? Surely there are better uses for 200k?

Thoroughly Smashed3:46 pm 02 Feb 11

ma7trlb said :

Gundaroo Dr / Barton Hwy / William Slim Dr Roundabout. Obviously won’t show up in 5 years of stats, but its a nightmare. Perhaps TAMS should count trashed roadsigns / lampposts to get better info, or call the local towing companies, or read RiotACT…

I saw a police van trash one of those road signs once. It was a beautiful thing.

Please straighten Kuringa Drive

ma7trlb said :

Gundaroo Dr / Barton Hwy / William Slim Dr Roundabout. Obviously won’t show up in 5 years of stats, but its a nightmare. Perhaps TAMS should count trashed roadsigns / lampposts to get better info, or call the local towing companies, or read RiotACT…

This roundabout def needs some improvements… How – who knows… I’ll take any option but traffic lights !

I only live about 2 mins from this roundabout and there is regularly accidents.

Gundaroo Dr / Barton Hwy / William Slim Dr Roundabout. Obviously won’t show up in 5 years of stats, but its a nightmare. Perhaps TAMS should count trashed roadsigns / lampposts to get better info, or call the local towing companies, or read RiotACT…

Mugga Lane heading south past the tip entramce and joining Long Gully, to turn left whilst still calling it Mugga Lane.

An evil bit of roadworks. Travelling south on Mugga Lane to the intersection, the road takes a kink to the right. This is exactly where cars travelling west up Mugga Lane, to turn right into Mugga Lane, are in the blind spot (behind the left hand A pillar) of vehicles travelling south. They can be hidden for the last 100 metres, as you kink right to follow the road, so if you are turning right to go up Long Gully, you have no idea a vehicle is (legally) turning right into your path until a collision occurs.

Intersections should not be built on curves.

Wentworth Ave heading towards the Canberra Ave roundabout – desperately need a slip lane onto Mildura and/or Burke . Either that or a gigantic laser beam mounted on the roof on Canberra Milk to exterminate all those late or non-indicating arseholes who brake and turn at the last instant.

MrsD1ngo said :

Was rear-ended last year whilst waiting to go from Isabella to Athllon and I was the second car in line at the intersection. Idiot behind me second guessed the two cars in front would move.

I rear ended someone on it a couple of years ago, same thing, I saw a gap in the traffic for the car in front, they started to move off, I looked to the right, saw another gap, started moving assuming the first car had moved off, only to run straight into the back of them. I was extremely embarrassed….

georgesgenitals said :

I wonder what would happen if we put the speed cameras in these places where the accidents regularly happen?

Just a thought.

That’s Crazy talk!

It’s good to know that the most dangerous bits of road in the ACT can be fixed with signs and islands.

trevar said :

Oddly, the site boasting the greatest number of incidents seems to me to be the least likely of these sites for an accident; it’s a roundabout with excellent visibility at all approaches. You might not be able to see the other side, but you can see oncoming traffic very well. Perhaps the money could be better spent in this instance on teaching those who have caused accidents at this site how to use a roundabout properly?

buzz819 said :

Unfortunately, the only way to fix the intersection of Athllone, Isabella and Drakeford Drives, is to get rid of the roundabout all together like they did at Russell.

It is stupid, people are stupid, put stupid people in a stupid spot, people are gonna get hurt.

That is gonna be a lot more then $33,000.

Maybe get rid of the roundabout and have four sets of traffic lights??

Agree with both these comments.

Was rear-ended last year whilst waiting to go from Isabella to Athllon and I was the second car in line at the intersection. Idiot behind me second guessed the two cars in front would move.

Keijidosha said :

I suspected that there has been an accident per week at the Ginninderra/Tillyard intersection, but 35 in a year is close enough (and too many). Signage and concrete island improvements won’t do much. The increased traffic from Dunlop should be enough of a mandate for either traffic lights or a roundabout.

The intersection of Kuringa Drive and Kingsford Smith in Spence is also in desperate need of an upgrade. It mightn’t have a high frequency of accidents, but the severity of the aftermath left by most prangs is cause for concern.

Regarding the above comment, unfortunately there was another accident that happened at around 1pm today midway between Kingsford Smith intersection & Tilyard Drive (ie. the bendy stretch) & it looks like it might be another fatality. My parents house backs onto the worst part of Kuringa Drive and I recall as a child we had a lady (before mobile phones) that came into our house bleeding from her car accident as she needed to use our phone… enough to tramatise anyone I would think. Another accident involved a car ending up in a tree, the wrong way up. I could continue on along this vein, but there are too many.

This road has been the same for 35 years & the only modification that has been done is to put more signage up regarding speed limits & guard rails along part of the road to stop people rolling into the ditch… how about widening and straightening the road or perhaps put a permanent speed camera in place that’s not just about revenue raising but about saving lives?? Apparently the people involved in the accident today were abiding by the speed limits, something happened & their 4-wheel drive rolled a few times into the ditch.

Does this area classify as a black spot when there have been 3 (1 unconfirmed) deaths in 2 years along the short stretch that is Kuringa Drive?? Not only the deaths, but sitting in the houses that line Kuringa Drive and having to listen to the cars that have near misses? Or to quote a police officer, ‘I’m sick and tired of attending accidents on Kuringa Drive’. It turns my stomach every day I drive along this road. Something needs to be done now, I’m over it.

Muttsybignuts3:28 pm 01 Feb 11

Genie said :

Keijidosha said :

I suspected that there has been an accident per week at the Ginninderra/Tillyard intersection, but 35 in a year is close enough (and too many).

The stats are over 5 years ! Which is why I find this hard to believe..

Florey Drive and Southern Cross Drive should be at the top of this list. On average a car accident fortnightly, and unfortunately a death in the last 12 months.

+1 for Florey and Southern Cross. My anus tightens just driving near that intersection…

Genie said :

Florey Drive and Southern Cross Drive should be at the top of this list. On average a car accident fortnightly, and unfortunately a death in the last 12 months.

That intersection is a disgrace, as is the Starke Street intersection 100m down the road . With West MacGregor spreading further I expect the accident rate will only increase in this area.

Unfortunately, the only way to fix the intersection of Athllone, Isabella and Drakeford Drives, is to get rid of the roundabout all together like they did at Russell.

It is stupid, people are stupid, put stupid people in a stupid spot, people are gonna get hurt.

That is gonna be a lot more then $33,000.

Maybe get rid of the roundabout and have four sets of traffic lights??

Keijidosha said :

I suspected that there has been an accident per week at the Ginninderra/Tillyard intersection, but 35 in a year is close enough (and too many).

The stats are over 5 years ! Which is why I find this hard to believe..

Florey Drive and Southern Cross Drive should be at the top of this list. On average a car accident fortnightly, and unfortunately a death in the last 12 months.

If the Holders Of The Statistics proclaim these to be the most common sites of collisions in our pueblo, then far be it from a lowly worm such as I to guess at others that may contend. What I would like to know, however, is how Los Federales propose to redress the problems.

Oddly, the site boasting the greatest number of incidents seems to me to be the least likely of these sites for an accident; it’s a roundabout with excellent visibility at all approaches. You might not be able to see the other side, but you can see oncoming traffic very well. Perhaps the money could be better spent in this instance on teaching those who have caused accidents at this site how to use a roundabout properly?

I seem to recall reading that the Dickson precinct (Antil Street and Cowper Street) was one of the highest accident areas in Canberra – and yet no funding? For sure, Dickson is probably not the area where high speed/fatal accidents occur but surely the potential for car, pedestrian and cyclist accidents is self-evident and more needs to be done in the area.

georgesgenitals11:10 am 01 Feb 11

I wonder what would happen if we put the speed cameras in these places where the accidents regularly happen?

Just a thought.

I suspected that there has been an accident per week at the Ginninderra/Tillyard intersection, but 35 in a year is close enough (and too many). Signage and concrete island improvements won’t do much. The increased traffic from Dunlop should be enough of a mandate for either traffic lights or a roundabout.

The intersection of Kuringa Drive and Kingsford Smith in Spence is also in desperate need of an upgrade. It mightn’t have a high frequency of accidents, but the severity of the aftermath left by most prangs is cause for concern.

So lets see if the hivemind can come up with some better options than the ones above.

I will start the bidding with Pialligo Ave and Oaks Estate Road intersection. Seems to be at least one accident there every fortnight.

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