19 September 2018

Six dangerous ACT black spots to receive federal government funding

| Lachlan Roberts
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One of two intersections on Southern Cross Drive and Ratcliffe Crescent in Florey. Photo: Google maps.

One of two intersections on Southern Cross Drive and Ratcliffe Crescent in Florey. Photo: Google maps.

An intersection where a man died after his motorcycle crashed into a 4WD in February this year is one of six black spots across the ACT that are set for major safety upgrades over the next 12 months, thanks to funding from the federal government’s black spot program.

ACT Liberal Senator Zed Seselja and Assistant Federal Roads and Transport Minister Scott Buchholz announced this morning (19 September) that the Federal Government’s $744,200 funding will aim to reduce fatalities, injuries and crashes across the territory.

Mr Buchholz said funding has been allocated to improve six road locations identified as high priority, with 31 crashes causing injuries at the sites between 2012 and 2016. One of those locations is the intersections on Southern Cross Drive between Kingsford Smith Drive and Coulter Drive in Florey, where a 38-year-old man died after his motorcycle collided with a Nissan 4WD car earlier this year.

The intersection at Hobart Avenue and National Circuit in Forrest, Boboyan Road in Booth, the intersection at Masson Street and McCaughey Street in Turner, the intersection at the Barton Highway and William Slim Drive and Gundaroo Drive in Crace, and Pialligo Avenue from Scherger Drive to Air Disaster Memorial Drive will also receive renovations.

Senator Seselja announced the intersection at Hobart Avenue and National Circuit in Forrest will receive the most funding in the ACT, with a $180,000 investment to deliver stop controls at the intersection and upgrade pedestrian facilities.

“The National Black Spot Program targets roads where crashes are occurring and reduces the risk by introducing safety measures such as traffic signals and roundabouts at dangerous locations,” Mr Seselja said.

Mr Seselja said the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) found that the black spots projects have reduced the number of crashes causing death and injury by average 30 per cent.

The allocation for the six dangerous roads are:

  • $80,000 for installing a crash barrier at the southern side of Fitz’s Hill descent at Boboyan Road in Booth, about 550m north of Orroral Road.
  • $161,500 for calming devices at the intersection of Masson Street and McCaughey Street in Turner.
  • $113,700 to narrow the median lane and install guideposts in both directions at the intersection of the Barton Highway and William Slim Drive and Gundaroo Drive in Crace, as well as lowering the speed limit.
  • $91,000 to provide tactile centre line markings and reducing the speed limit on Pialligo Avenue from Scherger Drive to Air Disaster Memorial Drive.
  • $118,000 to extend the nose of the side road median island and ban U-turns at intersections on Southern Cross Drive between Kingsford Smith Drive and Coulter Drive in Florey.
  • $180,000 to upgrade pedestrian facilities and install stop control at the intersection of Hobart Avenue and National Circuit in Forrest.

Representatives from the National Capital Authority, Pedal Power, ACT Motorcycle Riders Association, the Australasian College of Road Safety and Transport Canberra were responsible for reviewing the priorities of the program.

For more information on the Australian Government’s Black Spot Program or to nominate a black spot, click here.

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The majority of these pieces of road are easily traversed by competent drivers/riders with the correct attitude. Why is it so politically difficult to show leadership and address poor driving? Why are a police services missing in action on road safety? Our politicians need to collectively hang their heads in shame.

In this case it is federal program designed to make it look like something is being done. When reality is look at what they are doing at most/all these intersections and it is very minor. But hey look at me Zed I am doing something with $744k of Federal (Liberal party) money.

But you are right want to tackle road safety they tackle the bad driving. And where the road is a major cause some real money to fix it.

justin heywood9:07 am 24 Sep 18

Jeez JC, ol’ Zed regularly cops abuse on these pages for doing nothing for Canberra. When he DOES actually do something, it’s apparently ‘hey look at me’ grandstanding.
– and Zed’s remit does not include changing Canberra’s appallingly self-absorbed driving culture.

I’m no fan of Seselja but I am sure that one of the underlying causes for Canberra’s dysfunction is the increasingly partisan, tribal nature of what passes here for political discourse.

As I mentioned the amount of money is so minor that this is nothing more than splashing some cash to say look at me.

Now if there was some serious money being thrown around then I would possibly agree with you. Though of course it is a national program so no doubt Zeds only involvement anyway is to get a photo shoot. Refer to my first point.

it beats me how two suburbs built so recently like Florey and Booth, can have any black spots when they began with a blank sheet of paper in the open spaces of Canberra. With sixty years of planning experience to learn from.

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