Parkdale East Traffic Improvements

Hello,

I have a real concern of Several considerable safety items on Victoria Street.
1. At least a few times a month, the bus gets blocked by two cars legally parked on either side of the street. This leads to either the the bus driver beeping their horn constantly until someone comes out or the bus driver has to get out and knock on doors. This happened the other night and woke up our young child. The street needs more dedicated parking.
2. Buses and cars constantly speed up and down the street. As I have a young child and with many school kids in the area, I have a grave safety concern. I’m not sure the speed humps proposed are severe enough.
3. Parking is insufficient and issues are caused when cars are legally parked opposite each other. The other day a relative had his car damaged when another car side swiped his. This is a direct result of the street width.
4. The pavement is rutted in several areas. This suggests the pavement in not adequate for the loading of the buses.
5. The Righthand turn from Imes onto the Nepean Hwy is a significant safety concern. I’ve witnessed a number of near misses as people coming from Parker’s speed straight through trying to make the lights. Congestion in the morning and afternoon is also significant.
6. The corner at the top of Victoria Street is very tight. I’ve witnessed a number of near misses of cars and buses cutting the corned. Also, a glass mirror may help so vehicles can see if other vehicles are coming. Also, a review of a location of the no standing signs may help.

In my opinion and this the understanding that the street width in itself has a traffic slowing impact, the street need designated parking bays, speed humps and strengthening. I also believe the bus should use another street as Victoria Street is not appropriate.

I agree with a number of respondents that these changes do not go far enough.

I’m happy to provide further comments or answer questions if required.

Regards,

Nathan

Hi Alex,
I'm a resident of Vialls Ave with children attending Parkdale Primary. Overall most of the changes don't overly affect me.
My main issue, which has not been addressed in this proposal is with the difficulty to cross from the east side of Morgan Street (street that runs along the Parkdale Primary east boundary) over to the main back entrance to the school. Many many kids, parents, grandparents etc cross at this spot into the school yard each morning. I applaud the recent path created directly opposite the school to enable easier access and an apparent safer ability to cross here.
However, I'm disappointed there was no parking zones placed either side of this east pathway onto Morgan st. This means it is impossible, when crossing Morgan Street into the school grounds, to be able to see clearly to the left without stepping into traffic in order to be sure it is safe to cross.
Cars park right up to the pathway onto the road and sometimes, blatently park across this spot. It means it is impossible for clear vision of oncoming traffic. Many kids walk to school and need to cross at this spot without the help of an adult. Given their smaller stature, they would need to go right onto the road and crane their head until they see clearly enough to cross. Large cars like Vans, (of which I am an owner of myself) if parked in this spot, make it even more difficult to have clear vision of the road.
Simple parking restriction signs, similar to out the front of the school, would hopefully ensure cars leave enough room to allow pedestrian traffic to safely view what is approaching and cross safely. I feel like this spot is truly an accident waiting to happen.
My other concern as a parent of 3 children who have attended Elonera Preschool on Victoria/ Davey Street. Is the difficulty to cross over to the extra car park area at Walter Galt Reserve. Elonera Kindergarten have higher class sizes than in the past, this means many more parents need to park on the other side of Victoria St and then cross over into the kinder grounds with their young children. It is treacherous at best. Cars come around the corner from Davey street extremely quickly and it makes it very difficult to be able to know for sure it is safe to cross. As a current parent of Elonera I am increasingly concerned. I feel the addition of signage, perhaps flashing, to alert drivers of children crossing may be of help, or even speed bumps or speed reduction lines on the actual bend so cars have no option but to slow down at this spot.
I hope you consider these important safety aspects for Parkdale East.
Shellie Morris

Hi Alex,
I really dont feel speed humps are a solution to the problem at the top of Keith st/Nepean Highway. Traffic is already slow at the top of the street trying to navigate the parked cars & oncoming traffic. For one there needs to be a KEEP CLEAR zone (or traffic island as you are planning) right at the top there so traffic turning into Keith street can still turn right into the slip lane that runs along the front of the school.

Keith street being a two way street is severely compromised during school drop off & pick up & on sporting days. It often becomes grid locked (particularly on wet days when everyone is driving). Perhaps consider a one way street as another resident mentioned?

As a resident of Davey Street, my concerns are that the traffic will back up along Davey Street whilst motorists are waiting to pass through the pedestrian crossing and make it extremely difficult to exit resident properties. It is already ridiculous trying to exit our property in the mornings, let alone trying to get out with backed up, waiting traffic. Corner of Mountview, Brownfield and Davey already over busy, let alone installing a crossing right near an intersection. Am opposed to this idea

The Council has yet to address the more major concern relating to the lack of right hand turn arrows at the intersection of Nepean Hwy and Imes St and Parkers Rd to make access to Nepean Hwy safer.
The problem is of major concern at peak hour and school drop off and pick up times and as a resident I have had many near collisions as drivers try to access Nepean Hwy (from either Imes St or Parkers Rd) as transverse Nepean Hwy (in either direction.
The turning lanes are present on both Parkers Rd and Imes St and I would suggest that the lack of traffic control to support the turns onto Nepean Hwy is negligent.

David Muir
70 Evan St
Parkdale

Agree that right turn arrows are needed from Imes st to Nepean Hwy, as is a left hand turning lane from Parker’s Rd into Nepean Hwy. Both would protect pedestrians as many motorists dice with crossing pedestrians due to their frustration in the length of time it takes to turn and the relatively short cycle for those crossing Nepean Hwy. It is not unusual to take 4 or more cycles of lights to make a RH turn. An alternative would be stop all pedestrian crossing on the north side of the intersection, crossing Nepean Hwy.
Traffic parking, especially when sport and events are on, in Imes St and Chandler St need enforcement at double lines and on side of Chandler St, no parking/no standing

I think the proposed changes to the end of Keith st don’t go far enough. That street should definitely be one way in the morning the same as Morgan st. A single car heading east down Keith in the morning throws the entire street into bedlam after/during school drop-off.
I believe Carrier Ave should have speed humps installed its entire length, continuing on to Kershaw/Cedric etc the entire length to Woodlands GC. This is a shortcut for peak hour travellers to skip White street and the speeds that some drivers skip through these streets is ridiculous.
I also believe the Booth St entrance from the Nepean hwy end should be a no entry or one way 3-4pm etc because that is also a shortcut for parents driving at school pickup. That school pickup hour turns a quiet street into an incredibly busy corner there. I have seen SO many near misses there. If not made one way etc, at the very least speed humps should also be installed. So many kids walk home that way and try and cross that corner. Incredibly dangerous.

There is a lot of traffic in the area around school drop off and pick up times. My main concern in the area is the traffic lights at the Nepean Hwy/Imes St intersection.
Right turning arrows need to be implemented from Imes and Parkers Rd turning into Nepean Hwy.
Too many kids from Parkdale Sec, St. John Vianney and Parktone Primary use this crossing. I have seen many near misses with both cars and pedestrians.

Speed is not an issue around the Keith st area , the problem are the cars parked on both sides of the small street. One sided street parking should be the proposal. When school pick up and sporting events it is impossible to transit down the road. KS

I am concerned with the proposed changes to Keith St and Elm Gve intersections.
These will adversely effect the traffic exiting Nepean Hwy, with the potential of creating more accidents, with the inside lane slowing down more to turn left to Keith St and Elm Gve.
By making Keith St traffic enter Nepean Hwy to access the school seems a retrograde step, again with the prospect of more accidents.
I was hoping to discuss this with the traffic engineers at the meeting tomorrow night - but apparently that has not been organised yet