Traffic calming: measure what matters

We would like the ACT Government to be accountable and invest wisely, so we measure and monitoring all sorts of things. However, not everything that matters can be measured, and not everything that we can measure matters, but it matters what we measure. Confused? TCCS is. We want more people to walk and cycle, but we do not measure that. We measure congestion instead, which we do not want. We want our streets safer for walking and riding. Traffic management studies required data, but we do not collect data on that which matters: the safety of walking and cycling.

Local Area Traffic Management in Kambah

Recent studies demonstrate that bad ACT road design is a major factor in why our roads poorly serve pedestrians and cyclists. Kambah is a good example. The roads need to be fixed quickly with affordable solutions. If you would like your children to be able to walk around the suburb safely, Local Area Traffic Management is worth knowing about.

Why schools struggle to improve safety

Children do not walk to school because cars make it unsafe to do so. To improve road safety for children around schools, we require traffic calming measures, on all sides, and the implementation of safe zones, where children can move without crossing roads and getting close to motor vehicles. Any approach will require some government expenditure and urban renewal. TCCS have named the process Local Area Traffic Management (LATM). The Lyneham Primary School Petition is a typical attempt to improve safety around the school. At the moment, the chances of any improvement, however, are low. 😦

2012 ACT Strategic Cycling Network Plan, Spackman Mossop Michaels

“Separation of cyclists and motorists is paramount to increasing cyclists numbers.” Most cyclist do not feel safe riding on the road, and Austroads agrees with them. The 2012 ACT Strategic Cycle Network Plan (FOI 20-030) by Spackman Mossop Michaels makes clear that cycle lanes are a mistake. Furthermore, ACT achievements between between 2012 and 2022, shows that cycling network has made little progress. Cause for concern!

Section 4: Safety

This section provides data on the trends, risks, and costs of Canberra car culture, where vulnerable road users have ‘no place on our road’, and the young and the old are particularly at risk. They are disadvantaged not only due to cognitive (or physical) limitations but also due to the lack of options. Some of the best reasons for fixing active travel in Canberra are health, human equity, and safety.

ACT Road Safety Action Plan 2020-2023

“Road Safety. It’s Everyone’s Responsibility.” The ACT Government’s focus on road safety. The report is disappointingly inaccessible, considering the importance of the topic. The slogan “Everyone’s Responsibility” denies that those that can cause more damage and harm have more responsibility. This is accepted with truck drivers, but not cars drivers.

Section 4.7 Good reasons for cycle paths

The evidence is overwhelming. Cycling makes sense.

Section 4.1 Austroads recommendations on speed limits

We are warned of the dangers of roads from an early age, but few would know just how dangerous a car driving at the 50 km/h in a local street can be. At 50 km/h there is a low chance of a struck pedestrian or cyclist surviving. Austroads recommends lowering speed limits.