News & Discussion: Roads & Traffic

[AG]

Adelaide nation's traffic basket case
STEELE TALLON, RENATO CASTELLO
March 25, 2007 11:15am
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ADELAIDE has recorded the worst increase in peak-hour traffic congestion of any Australian capital city over the past decade.

Research by national transport analyst Austroads found delays caused by Adelaide's morning traffic crush had increased by 30 per cent since 1997/98.
Perth recorded the second-worst increase in delays (18.5 per cent), followed by Sydney (9 per cent), Melbourne (7 per cent) and Brisbane (6 per cent).

The research calculated the delays by comparing peak-hour travel times on a variety of major roads with nominal travel times – the length of time it would have taken to travel the same distance at the posted speed limit.

It found the Adelaide rush hour holds up motorists by 44 seconds for every kilometre travelled compared to 33secs/km in 1997/98.

For an average motorist driving 15km to work daily, that 44-second delay equates to an extra 55 minutes on the road each week and almost 48 hours annually.

Adelaide's traffic woes are increasing at such a rate that delays are now almost as bad as Melbourne, where peak-hour congestion holds up motorists by 46 seconds each kilometre. Overall, Sydney has the worst peak-hour delay of 51secs/km. The Austroads research also showed a sharp decline in travel speeds across Adelaide during morning peak hour, motorists averaging 35.8km/h compared to 39.2km/h in 1998/99.

The figures come amid claims the State Government has lost any chance of an overall solution to ending the city's traffic woes.

Former Liberal premier Steele Hall and former director-general of transport Dr Derek Scrafton have both criticised the Government's lack of vision. Mr Hall, who was premier from 1968-1970, said Adelaide's hope for a transport vision were lost with the scrapping of the Metropolitan Adelaide Transportation Study.

The study set out a network of expressways and freeways through the city, but was scrapped by the Dunstan Labor Government in 1971.

"The fact is that Labor has an appalling history of not acting on SA's infrastructure," Mr Hall said. Projects such as underpasses along South Rd were a "piecemeal approach because the opportunity has been lost" for a transport blueprint.

"We will see the odd improvements here and there, but we are standing still in road development," he said. "Quite clearly we need (transport) corridors that we haven't now got. The transport network will never reach the needs that Adelaide requires."

In a candid admission during the week, Transport Minister Patrick Conlon told a meeting of the state's property developers, planners and transport experts that the Government did not have a long-term transport vision.

"I will accept the criticism that we don't have a bigger plan," he said.

"If you think we need a bigger plan you should add your voice to it and tell my Treasurer (Kevin Foley).

He told the 60-strong crowd at a Property Council of SA forum the "vision is there if you want to look for it".

The State Government shelved its draft Transport Plan in 2003.

Dr Scrafton, who served under both Liberal and Labor governments, did not expect the incumbent Labor Government nor any future one to publish a transport blueprint.

"They'll bluff their way now," he said of the Rann Government.

"They'll put some money into electrifying the railway or something similar. The next government will then promise to have a plan and won't (deliver) and so on, and we will continue to hold our breath."

Property Council of SA executive director Nathan Paine said the Government had to co-ordinate transport investment with future commercial and residential precincts.

"As with the current Glenelg tramline extension, transport projects announced in isolation will not generate the magnitude of investment we could expect to see from a detailed transport blueprint," Mr Paine said.
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I don't think Adelaide has lost hope of developing a good transport network. The loss of the corridors that were supposed to be for new projects just means a lot more new projects are going to have to be underground like in Sydney, and a lot more expensive.

[mooshie]

Adelaide's traffic woes are increasing at such a rate that delays are now almost as bad as Melbourne, where peak-hour congestion holds up motorists by 46 seconds each kilometre. Overall, Sydney has the worst peak-hour delay of 51secs/km.

dunno about Melbourne, but comparing Adelaide's traffic to Sydney is just ridiculous. In Adelaide the ONLY delays are during peak hour which usually runs from about 7:30am to 9 and 4-6pm. come to Sydney and the delays start at about 6 till 9 and 2 till 7, and even then during the rest of the day there is still a huge amount of traffic on the road, clogging things up.

[AtD]

What a unbias piece of model reporting. And they say the 'Tiser is pro-Liberal...

[Cruise]

Projects such as underpasses along South Rd were a "piecemeal approach because the opportunity has been lost" for a transport blueprint.

I agree with this completely.

I don't think Adelaide has lost hope of developing a good transport network. The loss of the corridors that were supposed to be for new projects just means a lot more new projects are going to have to be underground like in Sydney, and a lot more expensive.

So why dont they start looking into it then? and i mean NOW

[rev]

Plea for one-way city flow
Article from: The Advertiser


BRYAN LITTLELY, CANDICE KELLER

August 06, 2007 02:15am


SOME of Adelaide's CBD streets should be made one-way roads to ease city congestion, a traffic management expert says.

Former South Australian director-general of transport Derek Scrafton says one-way streets are "a logical solution" to the peak-hour choke.

Worsened by tram extension works and large scale inner-city construction projects, congestion has been most evident along Waymouth and Pirie streets, two of the streets suggested by Dr Scrafton, which could be effectively made one-way avenues.

Dr Scrafton, who resigned as director-general of transport about 10 years ago and is now a Professor of Transport Policy Planning at UniSA, said one-way streets in Adelaide was "an idea whose day will come". "It's a very logical thing to do," Dr Scrafton said.

"Without a great deal of change to the infrastructure, you can get a great deal more efficiency out of the network.

"I cannot understand why people are reluctant to do it."

But the decision to implement one-way street infrastructure lies with the Adelaide City Council, and Lord Mayor Michael Harbison was luke-warm on the idea.

The council has not discussed introducing one-way streets into the CBD to alleviate congestion, Mr Harbison said.

"We would discuss one-way streets with reluctance," he said.

"They would be good for getting traffic out of the area. . . they wouldn't be useful for local traffic though."

Mr Harbison said the tram extension will help "relieve congestion".

"It will get passengers around the city . . . and the State Government has agreed to make it free throughout the CBD."

However, it is the tram extension along King William St and North Tce which has raised the need of one-way streets in the eyes of Dr Scrafton.

Transport Minister Patrick Conlon also concedes further extension of the tramline could require the introduction of one-way streets.

Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith said one-way streets "can be a nuisance" but "will be unavoidable if the Government congests the city with new infrastructure like further tramline works".

"The question of one-way streets for Adelaide should have been addressed before the tramline extension went ahead," he said.

Mr Conlon said future tram extensions, which are at this point not budgeted for, would raise the need to talk to the city council about traffic management.

RAA traffic and safety manager Rita Excell said: "The one-way option is something that could be investigated, but what we think should be done is to have a high standard ring route around the city."

[Norman]

Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith said one-way streets "can be a nuisance" but "will be unavoidable if the Government congests the city with new infrastructure like further tramline works.

I seriously want to punch that guy in the face... he has no idea, does he...

[rev]

[stelaras]

What a load of shite...

This guy really has no idea. Our CBD city streets are wider than any street in melbourne that has trams on it, nd wider than european cities that have trams installed. Traffic flow really is not inhibited in Melbourne, save for peak hour in the am/pm, but thats because of volume of cars not because there are tram lines on the road!

This guy should find something else to do with his spare time..

Just for the record one way streets don't work for me. Ive lived in europe where whole suburbs larger in area than the our CBD have one way streets and it is a mess to navigate through and bad luck if your house, place of employment or car park is on the wrong side of the one way street. The one way street priciple can only be applied (in my opinion) to narrow streets of which ours are not!

[rhino]

Why is there any need for Wright/Carrington Sts and Sturt/Halifax Sts to be one way streets? (as per the newspaper clipping above). When are they clogged up? They're not through-roads to the suburbs and don't carry enough traffic to warrant becoming one-way streets.

[Pistol]

Just another reason to NOT read The Advertiser.
Just another reason to keep Martin Hamilton-Smith out of power.
What a waste of paper.

[rev]

Why would you make Rundle street one way, and heading out of the city?

As for Smithy, if he wants to talk about a nuisance, he should start a discussion on him self and his party.

[Ho Really]

What stelaras has pointed out in his post is quite true. Adelaide does not need more one-way streets than what we already have and if implemented Martin Hamilton-Smith is right, they'll be a nuisance. Hopefully no government will consider tram lines down our narrower thoroughfares, there's no need for that and by the time (hopefully not far into the future) we'll have a better public transport system in the CBD and will have less car traffic anyway.

Cheers

[Tyler_Durden]

I'm keen on the idea. I think three roads particularly could benefit from this. Hindley Street, Rundle Street and Gouger Street. None of these streets should be used as thouroughfares but at times can get quite congested. One way streets do work to improve traffic flow. Pirie and Waymouth are also good candidates in my opinion, although not as important as the others.

[Will]

Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith said one-way streets "can be a nuisance" but "will be unavoidable if the Government congests the city with new infrastructure like further tramline works.

I seriously want to punch that guy in the face... he has no idea, does he...

The comments coming from Mr Hamilton-Smith are somewhat contradictory with the official Liberal party line.

Last week the shadow, transport spokesperson, Duncan McFetridge was quoted in the Advertiser as saying that the only reason why the Liberal party opposed the tramline extension was because it did not go further. However I ask, if they wanted it to go further why is the potential premier saying that further tramline extensions will congest the city?

[rhino]

I'm keen on the idea. I think three roads particularly could benefit from this. Hindley Street, Rundle Street and Gouger Street. None of these streets should be used as thouroughfares but at times can get quite congested. One way streets do work to improve traffic flow. Pirie and Waymouth are also good candidates in my opinion, although not as important as the others.

If these streets ever become one-way streets it should be only between specific times on specific days (eg Friday night). All this should take is some electronic signs which light up at the appropriate times. There is no reason to upset the ordinary traffic flow, which is not excessive, on these streets.