Submissions to RMS proposal for Clearways on Centennial Avenue

The Roads and Maritime Service (RMS) have extended the closure date for submissions regarding the proposed clearways on Centennial Avenue to Wednesday 31st January 2018.

Submissions can be emailed to [email protected]

Read my submission here.

Below is the submission I made to the RMS regarding the proposed clearways on Centennial Ave, Lane Cove.

Feel free to use any of this content in your own submission.

RE: Proposed improvements on Burns Bay Rd, Centennial Avenue and Epping Road

 

In response to the proposed installation of clearways on Burns Bay Rd, Centennial Avenue and Epping Road in Lane Cove, I write the following feedback both in my capacity as a resident and as an elected Councillor for West Ward on Lane Cove Council.

 

Timing of consultation

Many residents in the community have shared with me their disappointment that this consultation was called four weeks before Christmas. The feedback I have received is that they feel they have not had enough time to properly consider the proposal and provide appropriate feedback in a timely manner. 

 

In my capacity as Councillor, I express my disappointment that we were not briefed about this proposal until residents received notification via the RMS flyer that was delivered to affected households on Friday 1st December 2017. To my understanding, there has been no consultation about the final proposal directly with Lane Cove Council. 

 

Data

I request that data tracking traffic flow be provided to Lane Cove Council and myself for the following time periods:

  • 6:00am to 10:00am weekdays and 3:00pm to 7:00pm weekdays.
  • 9:00am to 6:00pm on weekends.

 

It is requested that this data be made available before a final decision is made regarding this program. 

 

There are a number of issues that have not been addressed in this proposal. They are outlined as follows:

 

The need for a pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Centennial Ave/Oak St and Gentle St 

At present, there is no safe crossing for pedestrians between the traffic signals at Centennial Ave/Barwon Rd & Fig Tree St and Centennial Ave/Epping Road. 

 

Many residents who walk through Gentle Street from the medium/high density units on Burns Bay Road will cross the four traffic lanes at the intersection of Centennial Ave/Oak Ave and Gentle St where there is no marked safe crossing. Residents will use this route to gain access to the buses on Epping Rd at the Tantallon Oval bus stop. 

 

On the reverse, many residents from the north-west side of Centennial Ave will cross at the unmarked intersection of Centennial Ave/Oak Ave and Gentle St to gain access to Charlish Park, the Lane Cove Bowling and Recreation Club and to walk towards Lane Cove shops.

 

It would be ideal for the RMS to consider the installation of a safe pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Centennial Ave/Oak Ave and Gentle St.

 

The need to make improvements to the traffic signals at the intersection of Centennial Ave/Barwon Rd and Fig Tree St

At present there is no dedicated right turn signal for:

  • Northbound traffic along Centennial Ave to turn right into Fig Tree St.
  • Southbound traffic along Centennial Ave to turn right into Barwon St. 

 

Congestion and delays to traffic flow will occur at this intersection as motorists who are turning right at these traffic signals will normally need to wait for the amber light signal before they can turn right prior to the red light signal. 

 

Proper phasing of the traffic signals and the provision of a right turn signal will help to allow motorist to turn right in a timely and safe manner. The absence of a right turn signal results in one lane of traffic generally being blocked for an entire phasing of lights. 

 

At present, two lanes both northbound and southbound along Centennial Ave are available at all hours for traffic flow. The implementation of a clearway will not improve the current blockage caused by the absence of right turn signals at this set of traffic lights. Thus, it does not make sense that the RMS would implement clearways along Centennial Ave without addressing this issue.

 

The need to make improvements to the traffic signals at the intersection at Burns Bay Rd and Penrose Street

At present significant traffic congestion occurs in the morning and afternoon peak as east/south bound traffic banks up long Penrose St waiting to turn left into Centennial Ave. This occurs as the current arrangement has only one lane as a dedicated left turn lane and the second lane functions as both left turn/straight/right turn. 

 

The installation of an additional left turn lane from Penrose St to Centennial Ave southbound will provide two left turn lanes and a third lane for straight/right-turn traffic. This would significantly speed up traffic flow through this intersection in the morning and afternoon peak periods. 

 

At present, the limitation of two lanes at Penrose St catering for left turn/straight/right turn traffic is blocking traffic flow. The implementation of a clearway will not improve the current blockage caused by the absence of an additional left turn lane from Penrose St to Centennial Ave. Thus, it does not make sense that the RMS would implement clearways along Centennial Ave without addressing this issue.

 

Right turn for southbound traffic along Centennial Ave into Epping Road 

At present it is not permitted for southbound motorists along Centennial Ave to turn right into Epping Rd to travel west.

 

This results in additional ‘rat-running’ as motorists who are travelling southbound along Centennial Ave will take one of two routes to travel west along Epping Rd:

A) Southbound motorists may turn left in Karilla Ave/Kurri St/Parklands Ave to turn right at the Parklands Ave/Epping Rd traffic signals.

B) Southbound motorists may turn right into Barwon Rd through to Moore St to turn left at the Moore St/Epping Rd intersection.

 

The provision of a right turn traffic signal for southbound motorists along Centennial Ave to Epping Rd will remove traffic from the section of Centennial Ave south of Epping Rd. Thus, it does not make sense that the RMS would implement clearways along Centennial Ave without addressing this issue.

 

By addressing the above issues, I believe the following changes can be made to the below proposals by the RMS:

 

New clearway:

  • Centennial Avenue and Burns Bay Road between Epping Road and Penrose Street, Lane Cove
  • Burns Bay Road between Penrose Street, Lane Cove and Victoria Road, Huntley’s Point

 

The suggested improvements to:

  • Traffic signals at the intersection of Centennial Ave/Barwon Rd and Fig Tree St
  • Traffic signals at the intersection at Burns Bay Rd and Penrose Street
  • Right turn for southbound traffic along Centennial Ave into Epping Road

Will reduce the need for the extended clearway hours in the present proposed format. 

 

The proposed 9am to 6pm clearway on weekends and public holidays is not justified because:

  • Traffic flow on the weekends does not require the proposed clearway. [Can the RMS please provide the dates traffic monitoring took place for weekend traffic load?]
  • Residents will lose parking access for visitors and deliveries during the weekend.
  • Residents will lose parking access for Charlish Park and Lane Cove Bowling and Recreation Club. Vacant capacity does not exist on the side streets as previously advised but the RMS.
  • I dispute and disagree with the claims made by the RMS that surplus parking capacity exists on neighbouring streets to accommodate cars that would otherwise park on Centennial Avenue.

 

Widening of Centennial Ave to provide left turn lane for northbound motorists turning from Centennial Ave onto Epping Rd and impacts upon Turrumburra Park

 

I suggest the RMS consider reducing the start of the bus only lane on Epping Rd to allow cars turning left from Centennial Ave to Epping Rd that drive westbound to have more time to merge into the single west bound lane.

 

This may provide more time for cars to merge and reduce the need at all to annex land and cut down trees currently located in Turrumburra Park.

 

Lane Cove has lost many trees in the last seven years due to increased construction of medium and high density dwellings. The further loss of green open space and large mature trees is not favoured by the local community. 

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  • Andrew Zbik
    published this page in Updates 2018-01-26 21:27:14 +1100