Adelaide City Council hesitates to lower speed limit
Please let ACC know that you want speeds reduced in the CBD.
It's 40km/h or 'stay a backwater'
Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood has accused his city of living up to its reputation as a “backwater' if it does not introduce 40km/h speed limits in the CBD.
Mr Yarwood again called for the City Council to trial 40km/h speed limits around the city to increase safety, promote development and make city living exciting.
“Every capital city in Adelaide is doing this and if we do not support it, we will be seen as a backwater that is pro cars,” Mr Yarwood warned the councillors.
He became embroiled in a heated debate with Cr Anne Moran.
“If you are so cringeworthingly embarrassed about your city, that is a real shame,” she said.
A report prepared by council staff recommend the council approve a 12-month trial of a 40km/h speed limits in roads bounded by Grote and King William streets and West and South terraces.
The matter was deferred and will be discussed at a Capital City Committee meeting chaired by Premier Jay Weatherill, early next year.
From City North Messenger of 21-Dec-2011 on page 11.
Lower speed limits are safer for everyone: car occupants, pedestrians and cyclists. Lower speeds also reduce fuel used and air pollution plus noise pollution, improving the ambience of a shopping precinct. Adelaide City Council was supporting a lower speed limit but now some councillors appear to have second thoughts. Please contact authorities to let them know that you support lower speed limits in the CBD. Add your reasons for visiting the city: business, education, employment, gym, recreation, resident, shopping, etc.
Capital City Committee, CapitalCity@sa.gov.au
Premier Jay Weatherwill, form at http://www.ministers.sa.gov.au/ministers/hon-jay-weatherill.html
Rachel Sanderson MP, Member for Adelaide, adelaide@parliament.sa.gov.au
Email Adelaide City Council:
s.yarwood@adelaidecitycouncil.com, d.plumridge@adelaidecitycouncil.com, a.moran@adelaidecitycouncil.com, m.llewellynsmith@adelaidecitycouncil.com, n.malani@adelaidecitycouncil.com, m.hamilton@adelaidecitycouncil.com, s.clearihan@adelaidecitycouncil.com, s.wilkinson@adelaidecitycouncil.com, m.hender@adelaidecitycouncil.com, h.abiad@adelaidecitycouncil.com, m.henningsen@adelaidecitycouncil.com, a.williamson@adelaidecitycouncil.com, d.sacca@adelaidecitycouncil.com
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Patrick O'Kane on -
Good.
-
Permalink Reply by Gillian on
-
I'm in 2 minds about the 40kph bizzo. I live in a 40 zone which makes a lot of sense given the number of intersections at blind corners and just over the crest of hills. The trouble is you get used to folks driving a bit slower (generally not 40 though) and you can become a bit complacent at blind intersections. So too while riding and crossing the street with dogs, until some goose comes flying along at 70kph+. Fortunately most geese drive cars with milo tin exhausts and I can hear them coming a mile away. (I often wonder how the deaf fare though). Now, enter the age of the almost silent hybrid car and you find yourself hoping like hell there isn't one doing 70 over that crest as you pull out.
While the city steets are generally straight with good visibility, I still envisage motorists, cyclists and pedestrians becoming more complacent as they expect everyone to be crawling along until BANG.
Police the zones I hear you say. Yeah right! If they put cameras on 3 roads leading to Blackwood Football Club every training night and game day then it would only take one footy season to grab enough hoon cash to solve the Blackwood roundabout problem with an overpass. Police the entire CBD at 40 and I reckon Adelaide alone could bail out Greece, Italy.........
-
Permalink Reply by Roger ... on -
The Adelaide city driving speed is currently 50kph
I ride in the city nearly everyday. A cyclist at 30kph can keep pretty close to cars travelling the same route. At 40kph sustained, cyclists would easily beat cars, so it really is just a matter of making the safe driving speed law.
-
Permalink Reply by Patrick O'Kane on
-
I hate the 40 zones around Parkside, Unley, Wayville etc with a passion, way to slow if there is no traffic and peds around. If there are then drive to the conditions. The city is a slightly different scenario but 40 in light traffic is ridiculous, next it will be a man with a red flag in front of the car.
My second observation on this topic is the 40 zones tend to be in "well heeled" suburbs, like those I've mentioned and not in Hackham, Christie Downs and Davoren Pk. i suspect the zones ar more about maintaining a peaceful ambience than road safety.
-
-
I generally agree with what you are saying Pat. Most drivers can recognise a need to be more cautious and slow down in given conditions/situations. The problem, as usual, is the idiot minority that will do whatever the hell they want to irrespective of laws, rules and regulations. So I would appreciate it if Nanny would leave us good guys alone!
-
Permalink Reply by Darren on -
Agree. It seems to be more about making driving through those well heeled suburbs an inconvenience and keeping everyone on the main arterials.
The statement "Lower speeds also reduce fuel used and air pollution" always bothers me - a car driving 1 mile at 40kph may very well use more fuel and produce more air pollution than at 50kph (depending on the gear ratio of the car).
Finally, the city IMO is fairly pedestrian friendly already. I've been in the city before a few times when pedestrians have been struck and every one was within 10-20 meters of a pedestrian crossing... if pedestrians and cyclists don't use the infrastructure provided they'll still get hit at 40kph, but at 40kph you'll probably see more pedestrians and cyclists try their luck!
-
Permalink Reply by heather on -
I am concerned for cyclist safety, when cyclists are expected to travel close to (silly) drivers. I have been hit and injured twice in Adelaide City by negligent drivers. The drivers were unscathed but I am left with permanent back injuries. This affects my life style and activities. However, the garden still needs some work: mowing; weed removal; and trimming shrubs. Once I could do this in a day: now it is a little bit at a time with rest days as my back hurts. I cannot avoid all silly drivers and, if I am to be hit, would prefer it to be at a lower speed with nil injuries.
Maybe one day Adelaide will be more like The Netherlands: good cycling facilities; 30km/h limit on residential streets and CBD; and a road toll half that of us.
-
Permalink Reply by Patrick O'Kane on
-
I would suggest that most vehicle/cyclist collisions are at intersections and at less than 30kph, this will not change with lower speed limits.
I believe you last accident was as a result of a poorly maintained road surface, lower speed limits won't stop that.
Sam F and Baron colliding won't be stopped by lower speed limits.
CWL on Willunga Hill won't be affected by lower speed limits.
We can take many steps to reduce accidents for cyclists and motorists alike (and peds) but ridiculous speed limits won't solve the problem of inattentive drivers, poorly designed roads, ignoramuses who choose to ignore the present laws and sheer bad luck. Lowering urban speed won't help the thousands of cyclists on country ad arterial roads, won't save those hit by semi trailers at traffic lights, won't save those hit by car doors. We are all concerned for cyclist welfare, some of us have to live in the real world where getting from A to B sometimes means using a car, and I'd like to do that in a timely fashion.
-
Permalink Reply by heather on
-
My last accident was due to poorly maintained road. It is tiresome -- no cycling, pain, plus medical and physio appointments -- but in theory the shoulder will heal.
My previous hiccup was in the City, when cycling straight ahead mid-block. Overtaken too closely by a bus. The drivers were unscathed but I am left with permanent back injuries. This affects my life style and activities.
Gillian and Patrick, I did not say ban all motorised vehicles.
-
-
Heather, your opening line is "Please let ACC know that you want speeds reduced in th CBD." I don't so I won't. Simple. Please don't make any further assumptions on my behalf.
If the speed is reduced then I will simply not go into the city. I won't drive because I will be distracted wondering when 60 became 50 and 50 became 40 (and God forbid 30) and constantly checking the speedo. I am therefore more likely to cause an accident! I won't ride because I am not happy in city traffic irrespective of speed - that's my problem. I have already covered the public transport debacle. Add parking fees to the equation and the Adelaide CBD hits rock bottom of my prospective shopping venues.
Patrick has in no way indicated that he believes that you want to ban all motorised vehicles. I do believe that there are those that are so hell bent on making driving in the CBD as difficult as possible that the end result will be almost complete abandonment of the CBD by vehicular traffic. I have not indicated that I believe that you are one of that minority.
-
Permalink Reply by Frank on
-
Heather, problem is not many folks ever been anywhere near where bikes and cars can and do work in harmony!
Give it another 10 years and perhaps we will see some change and in particular in attitude!
Fingers crossed and hope there will still be people like you fighting for the cause!
Thank you!
© 2013 Created by Gus K.
