This deserves a response.
In terms of sustainable outcomes, the bypass will reduce considerable congestion of vehicles currently caught up at both ends of where the bypass is intended to traverse.
The congestion levels are very real and queues of over 1km can be seen on any given busy weekday afternoon peak. The reduction in delays is likely to have a large reduction in greenhouse gas emissions – some would consider this to be a reasonable sustainable outcome.
The original Kingston and Environs Transport Study DID look at various alternatives, such as public transport options, and traffic management alternatives to a bypass, but none of them had a significant impact on reducing congestion levels. This is mainly because of the limiting effect of intersections not designed to cater for the levels of traffic that we are now experiencing (such as Summerleas Road roundabout).
The State Government and Kingborough Council are taking serious measures to investigate longer term public transport outcomes. These, in conjunction with reductions in congestion levels as a result of the bypass will have sustainable benefits.
I think it’s unfair to say that the bypass has no economic justification. Certainly on crash and travel time reductions alone there is a very strong argument for economic justification.
Where we have to be careful is ensuring that land use development to the south is carefully managed, so that we don’t induce too much transport demand due to the improved travel time along the new bypass.
Regards,
Keith Midson
Director, Midson Traffic Pty Ltd
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