Future of Cotter Road?

yellowsnow said :

Thoroughly Smashed – but my point was that at peak times Coppins Crossing is the rational, faster route (though more dangerous). It’s Roads ACT that’s irrational in assuming traffic on the Parkway / Glenloch interchange etc always flows smoothly, and that traffic lights on William Hovell are always green. I suspect all their traffic planning is based on ideal world scenarios rather than real-world ones.

Yup, I suspect you are right, although even taking into account “ideal circumstances”, my particular commute is only a minute or so quicker by the “main roads” (that is assuming that the posted speed limit is followed precisely, and that no stops of lights or intersections are needed). So at anything other then 3am it is better for me to take Coppin’s Crossing Rd.

In addition to that, in my personal opinion, I feel safer riding my motorcycle across Coppin’s then I do in the traffic of the Parkway.

Thoroughly Smashed – but my point was that at peak times Coppins Crossing is the rational, faster route (though more dangerous). It’s Roads ACT that’s irrational in assuming traffic on the Parkway / Glenloch interchange etc always flows smoothly, and that traffic lights on William Hovell are always green. I suspect all their traffic planning is based on ideal world scenarios rather than real-world ones.

yellowsnow said :

Apparently, according to a Roads ACT presentation I once attended, people aren’t supposed to be using Coppins Crossing as a shortcut because it takes longer to go that way than via William Hovel and Tuggeranong Parkway, thereby being an irrational option (!). With logic like this — ignoring traffic reality, and assuming people always travel at speed limit following routes chosen by them by govt officials — no wonder Roads ACT has brought us so very many traffic planning and road design disasters

To be fair to Roads ACT, they can’t predict what stupid decisions people are going to make. They can determine the rational route(s), and simply have to work with that.

Bulldog and P1 – yes I admit I was exaggerating with the rat running reference, though one of the definitions of rat running is using secondary roads to bypass traffic lights and bottlenecks on main roads, which is what is happening in this case. But don’t worry I’m not passing judgement, I occasionally do it too

Apparently, according to a Roads ACT presentation I once attended, people aren’t supposed to be using Coppins Crossing as a shortcut because it takes longer to go that way than via William Hovel and Tuggeranong Parkway, thereby being an irrational option (!). With logic like this — ignoring traffic reality, and assuming people always travel at speed limit following routes chosen by them by govt officials — no wonder Roads ACT has brought us so very many traffic planning and road design disasters

yellowsnow said :

…unless they choose to risk their life on Coppins Crossing Rd, already the route of choice of speeding, reckless ratrunners….

I can’t see how taking Coppin’s Crossing Road can possibly be considered ratrunning, it is a nice wide road, with few driveways, zoned at 80km/h. Sure, it is a little windy in places, but that just makes it more fun. Ratrunning is cutting through suburbs on roads not designed for through traffic (but local traffic).

I have to use this stretch regulalrly during the rush hours – it’s a pain in the backside now, and will become an abomination when they start building the new ‘burbs. Currently, transiting from Adelaide Ave towards the Parkway is ground to a halt by the infuriating form-one-lane debacle for the traffic exiting Yarralumla, and the bottlenecks in both directions are already insufficient fr the current traffic levels.

I’ll be writing to both sides of our glorified city council about it – I would encourage all of you to do the same. It seems the squeaky wheels will ocasionally get greased, so the more of us who raise the matter, the greater possibility that this will be looked at – and maybe even addressed.

Cheers to redmelon for posting the above response – notwithstanding the tone and content, I am quietly pleased that they took the time to at least try and address your concerns. A for effort, D for content.

yellowsnow said :

I should also mention that Roads ACT does not expect to extend John Gorton Drive to Bindubi St/William Hovell Drive for another 10 years (!). So basically for a decade Molonglo residents will have only one major road to rely on for access, unless they choose to risk their life on Coppins Crossing Rd, already the route of choice of speeding, reckless ratrunners transiting from Western Belconnen to the southside.

Haha, I lived in Gungahlin for many years where there was the highway route or going through Mtichell for access and that was it. When Gungahlin Drive did eventually get built, almost a decade after Palmerston, Nicholls, Ngunnawal and Amaroo were built it was still single lane. And it’s still a shit fight from what I gather.

When I first moved to Ngunnawal in 1998 there was no supermarket, the list goes on… why should we expect any different?! Especially for an area, such as Molonglo Valley, that has much better access to established infrastructure than Gungahlin ever did.

Ratrunners? Back in the day I lived in Florey and worked in Weston Creek. Are you seriously suggesting I should have driven there via Civic or Lady Denman Drive?

If there’s a road there and it’s legal I’ll use it thanks.

I should also mention that Roads ACT does not expect to extend John Gorton Drive to Bindubi St/William Hovell Drive for another 10 years (!). So basically for a decade Molonglo residents will have only one major road to rely on for access, unless they choose to risk their life on Coppins Crossing Rd, already the route of choice of speeding, reckless ratrunners transiting from Western Belconnen to the southside.

Last year, in an appearance in front of the Weston Creek Community Centre, head of Roads ACT Tony Gill mentioned that the Government had allocated them quite a bit of money to look at how Cotter Rd between Tuggeranong Parkway and Adelaide Ave could be improved to allow for greater traffic flows. This, Tony said, could mean that the road got duplicated soon, or that they improved a few intersections, or that they did nothing pending further deterioration of traffic situation. Given that this year’s budget did not allocate further funds to that part of Cotter Rd, i guess they chose to go with the latter (do nothing) option. I’ve been meaning to follow this up with Tony Gill so see what the latest story is. Who knows, maybe Roads Act is being punished for the Asbestos debacle.

The response redmelon @12.28 received is telling of ACT govt’s incompetence at planning and building roads — they reckon improvements to Cotter rd – Streeton Drive intersections will improve flows along the whole length of Cotter Rd. However, the reason Cotter Rd on the cityside of the parkway is clogged is not from traffic from the Weston Creek/Molonglo side, but people using Cotter Rd to access the Parkway and Lady Denman Drive from the Parliamentary Triangle (e.g. traffic going from Parl Triangle and Deakin to Belco or Gungahlin, or vice versa).

I was checking out some info on Wright earlier today and it looks like part of Cotter Rd is going to become John Gorton Drive…

http://wright.molonglovalley.com.au/about/estatemap/