26 August 2013

Traffic calming coming for Wanniassa and Maribyrnong Avenue

| johnboy
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TAMS are warning that Sternberg Crescent and Maribyrnong Avenue are in their sights:

Canberrans are invited to provide feedback on traffic issues along Sternberg Crescent in Wanniassa and Maribyrnong Avenue in Kaleen, acting Director, Roads ACT, Ken Marshall said today.

“In response to feedback from residents about speeding and traffic safety, the ACT Government has commissioned AECOM to undertake studies into traffic issues on Sternberg Crescent in Wanniassa and Maribyrnong Avenue in Kaleen,” said Mr Marshall.

“The studies will include a technical component analysing speed, volume and crash data, as well as seek the views of residents of Kaleen, Wanniassa and the wider community.

“Members of the community are invited to attend information sessions throughout September to learn about the studies, meet the study team and discuss any traffic issues.

“A newsletter and questionnaire will be distributed to residents of Wanniassa and Kaleen inviting them to provide feedback on their issues of concern. An online survey is also available via the ACT Government’s Time to Talk website www.timetotalk.act.gov.au

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According to the Canberra Times the deadly and High Crash zone Sternberg Cres, Wanniassa is getting some Federal funding to help fix the issues. “Canberra Times: Four Canberra blackspots, including the intersection of Sternberg Crescent and Ashley Drive in Wanniassa, will share in $2.4 million of federal funding to reduce crashes, ACT Senator Zed Seselja announced on Monday.”

While Sternberg Cres didn’t make yesterdays list of worst intersections, it is Canberra’s 3rd worst road for crashes (lots of crashes at multiple intersections is a different measure to single intersections) http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberras-worst-roads-for-crashes-revealed-20150210-13as5d.html

According to TAMS it is also the 2nd busiest minor road in Canberra with 9,400 vehicles a day. It has had 3 fatalities in recent years and for anyone who drives it during peak periods they will witness crazy driving, difficult intersections and especially rat runners who want to avoid the big roundabouts at Sulwood and Erindale drives.

About time someone addressed the roads around Erindale, maybe they will look at the parking next. http://www.tccs.act.gov.au/roads-paths/traffic/residential-street-improvement-program/sternberg-crescent,-wanniassa

There’s a problem on Maribyrnong Ave? Really? I thought it was relatively well behaved along there. Perhaps late at night might be a different story.

Speed cushions – just like those stupid chicanes – simply become a challenging obstacle.

Many cars can straddle the small speed cushions, but in some places they are getting replaced with lane-wide, savage speed bumps, such as in McCulloch Street Curtin.

They could put some roundabouts in, but having said that, I’ve noticed more cars crashing into houses of late on the news…… The hoons seeing traffic calming as a way to test the speed they can get to.

They need to increase the visible police presence and get the traffic off some of these roads. I know in Bonython we get streams of cars bypassing the roundabout on Drakeford and Isabella. They do have the occasional speed camera on the road, but if the Drakeford/Isabella intersection was signalised to let decent traffic flow occur, less people would cut through the suburbs. Many also go through Isabella Plains.

Finally if it is just the residents of the street complaining then increase their rates on the street to cover the costs. We’ll soon see whether its a significant problem of not.

Postalgeek said :

BimboGeek said :

Speed humps kill people. They make it harder for ambulances to do their jobs. Sure, calming the traffic saves a few lives but it costs many more in delayed emergency services.

It’s not just that they have to slow down on the way to a sick person. Imagine how slowly ambulances have to go over humps to avoid aggravating any potential spinal injuries or other damage in their fragile passenger.

Rip them all up and consider intelligent billboards like “please slow down briefly when you see a hazard, small child or animal” instead of “u b nxt”.

I know speed humps have caused problems for the ambulance service in the UK, but has our ambulance service voiced concerns about speed bumps?
You need to support your claim that “calming the traffic saves a few lives but it costs many more in delayed emergency services”.

I doubt that ambulances are really affected at all. I know that our Commodore wagon has a wide enough wheel base that if I aim for the right spot over the hump, that my tyres only clip the outside of the hump – no need to slow down at all, and I’m not killing the suspension.

Ambulances have a wider wheel base than my car, so I’m sure they would be able to drive over the cushions and either completely straddle them, or at worst clip the edges with little to no impact.

Having said that though, I hate speed cushions with a passion, but there are plenty of other valid reasons for getting rid of the damn things.

or,

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1443094/Builder-defends-right-to-dig-up-noisy-speed-bump.html

That guy had a lot of sympathy – those things create a lot of noise. It was on Kennington Road, just south of Oxford, if I recall correctly.

Rollersk8r said :

I can’t view the link but would be interested in how many complaints it takes for traffic calming to be introduced. I use Maribyrnong several times a day and it’s a good, free flowing road. Will not be happy with speed cushions etc – and once these things are in they don’t often get taken out, do they?

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/17/lexus-lfa-owner-gets-town-to-remove-speed-bump/

I can’t view the link but would be interested in how many complaints it takes for traffic calming to be introduced. I use Maribyrnong several times a day and it’s a good, free flowing road. Will not be happy with speed cushions etc – and once these things are in they don’t often get taken out, do they?

Speed humps dont slow me down at all, thery just provide a bit of fun on the way to work…

Just got some fully sick springs installed, speed humps are the perfect tool to test them with…

BimboGeek said :

Speed humps kill people. They make it harder for ambulances to do their jobs. Sure, calming the traffic saves a few lives but it costs many more in delayed emergency services.

It’s not just that they have to slow down on the way to a sick person. Imagine how slowly ambulances have to go over humps to avoid aggravating any potential spinal injuries or other damage in their fragile passenger.

Rip them all up and consider intelligent billboards like “please slow down briefly when you see a hazard, small child or animal” instead of “u b nxt”.

I know speed humps have caused problems for the ambulance service in the UK, but has our ambulance service voiced concerns about speed bumps?
You need to support your claim that “calming the traffic saves a few lives but it costs many more in delayed emergency services”.

BimboGeek said :

Rip them all up and consider intelligent billboards like “please slow down briefly when you see a hazard, small child or animal” instead of “u b nxt”.

Or reintroduce high visibility policing on a permanent basis. Oh wait, we can make more money with speed cameras and plod hiding behind trees and bushes. Well in that case carry on for that’s working a treat and slowing peeps down…NOT!

Traffic is a nightmare as it speeds along Belconnen Way (the 60 zone part) Maybe we can get some traffic calming devices along there too. I like the things, they let me hear my exhaust belching out unburnt fuel as I accelerate back up to speed after each one.

/sarcasm

Speed humps kill people. They make it harder for ambulances to do their jobs. Sure, calming the traffic saves a few lives but it costs many more in delayed emergency services.

It’s not just that they have to slow down on the way to a sick person. Imagine how slowly ambulances have to go over humps to avoid aggravating any potential spinal injuries or other damage in their fragile passenger.

Rip them all up and consider intelligent billboards like “please slow down briefly when you see a hazard, small child or animal” instead of “u b nxt”.

I went and had a drive on Sternberg, and these are my thoughts,

A speed camera monitoring eastbound traffic between Whiteman and Langdon would catch the careless and make the alert sit up and pay attention.

Another camera monitoring westbound traffic to the East of the Western intersection with Wheeler would be good – this bend isn’t very safe and it’s close to two schools.

To the West of there, there is a T intersection with Fincham, and for people turning on from Fincham this is a completely blind crest to the East of them. Westbound traffic should be controlled with a large red speed hump to make this crest safer.

I’m not sure why they are concerned about Langdon, though, when they still haven’t fixed the very dangerous 80-zone reverse-camber bend Southbound on Athllon intersecting with Sulwood.
This piss-poor bit of road design has actually cost lives.
And if the poor road design weren’t enough it is also a favourite road-crossing point for kangaroos, with many collisions occurring to people as they negotiate this badly-designed bend.

As for Maribyrnong – you shouldn’t be punishing everybody with road impediments. This is a major road used by many people, so speed cameras should be used to detect and deter rather than reducing the functionality of the road with obstructive clutter.

Speed humps (know to the government as ‘cushions’) should never be used in residential streets

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/bayside/speed-hump-fury/story-fngnvli9-1226601272810

Bayside Council scraps speed hump because of noise

They are too loud.

Every study on speed accidents and speed humps says that the width of the road is important. Yet not once has the government reduced the width of the road. In fact they have increased it with the bicycle lanes.

Can we petition to put a few cushions around the driveway of Gallagher’s place?
Surely it would affect her because she’d be catching the bus right?

poetix said :

If the number of unnecessary exclamation marks and capitals in this thread is any indication, there is definitely a need for some sort of calming.

poetix said :

If the number of unnecessary exclamation marks and capitals in this thread is any indication, there is definitely a need for some sort of calming.

Keep calm and punctuate.

Ahhh – this is why I love the Riot – it’s better than a cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down.

poetix said :

If the number of unnecessary exclamation marks and capitals in this thread is any indication, there is definitely a need for some sort of calming.

Keep calm and punctuate.

If the number of unnecessary exclamation marks and capitals in this thread is any indication, there is definitely a need for some sort of calming.

miz said :

WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?!!

You mean they’re actually capable of thought? Stop this nonsense immediately..

What is this govt’s obsession with ‘traffic calming’? They wouldn’t have so much traffic on them if the govt had actually duplicated the roads that should have been duplicated years ago.
Sternberg Cres is a major thoroughfare running from just before Ashley Drive practically to Athllon Drive, with playing fields and Erindale Centre in between. WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?!!

Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!

Please don’t screw up our streets anymore. Maribyrnong is a beautiful wide arterial road and except for the driveways could easily be negotiated at 70km/h but the current speed limit is entirely appropriate.

Traffic calming means traffic obstructions and traffic obstructions cause inconsistent and terrible traffic flow. Traffic flow is what you should be trying to achieve as a road planner so leave roads that flow nicely alone.

Take your speed cushions, shove them and call it a savings measure. The ones in the city are terrible, misplaced and inconsistently laid. As a Government they are spending millions upon millions to improve traffic flow and management then when it works they want to spend more money to stop it all again. I’d really like to see any accident data on Maribyrnong, I bet it is close to zero. I’ve certainly never even seen a close call but I can name 2 sets of lights right now which removal of would save several rear enders and possible injuries a month.

Bring on automated vehicles so this insane policy approach can finally die.

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