CITY TO HILL TRAFFIC USE ELGAR RD SIDE STREETS
Distance and direction websites are now recommending Elgar Road via sides streets such as Frank, Hanke, Boyd and Eildon Streets for city outward bound vehicles accessing Doncaster Hill instead of via the more direct route on Doncaster Road because the high rise apartment towers have no alternative access exit facility other than from Doncaster Road, an arterial without service lanes.
Several parking and traffic studies on Doncaster Hill indicated that with the number high rise developments being completed there would be corresponding capacity constraints in the road network with limited opportunities available to accommodate the projected growth in traffic volumes. Congested traffic conditions similar to inner Melbourne were expected.
Increased traffic was expected to increase travel times at slower vehicle speeds in and around Doncaster Hill. There will be reduced performance of the road based public transport system (Buses Only) within the local area with an increase in stop-start traffic flow, queuing
and delays at key intersections and limited gap opportunities for vehicles entering the arterial road network from our haphazard street layout.
Traffic is funneled into a highly loaded single main intersection, with no alternative routes to access high rise developments. It’s a condition of not having a interconnected system where traffic need not have to rely on Doncaster Road for entry and exit. An interconnected street network would have ensured that all trips could be as short as possible, to help disperse congestion, and be compatible with walking, cycling. The grid is the most common form of interconnected street system. Most streetcar cities have this characteristic street pattern, which is generally different than the post-1950 suburban pattern. The higher density of intersections reduces trip distance and reduces use of the automobile. Interconnected streets provide many alternative routes if there is congestion.
One of the problems of using Boyd and Eildon is that Vehicles exiting Eildon Street and dog legging right across Tram Road into Frank Street are impeding traffic flow in Tram Road.
The lack of a viable street grid/network in Precinct 2 for the efficient dispersion of traffic has been further disadvantaged by the permanent closure of Whittens Lane a main collector road, leaving Frank Street as the only remaining option. Frank Street, which is only seven metres wide, is considered unsuitable because of a bend half way in its length, its steep gradient aggravated by the introduction of double lines. To further illustrate the difficulty of using this small street as a collector road it should be noted that in the 180 meter length of Frank Street there are 73 dwellings many of which make no provision for visitors making nature strip parking commonplace. The recent council decision, after studies by both Vic Roads and the council officers, suggests that parking be only on one side of the street; that is, No Standing zones on the entire northern side. This has simply forced people to park on nature strips and/or the footpath. The council has turned a blind eye to this illegality because they simply cannot solve this issue.
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According to Manningham senior executives traffic lights are to be installed opposite Eildon Street for pedestrians to cross safely and a light sequence to allow vehicles to enter Frank Street from Eildon Street and Tram Road. They would be synchronised with pedestrian crossing lights to be installed on the corner of Merlin Street. This will cause further problems for motorists using Tram Road who are already experiencing long delays. Drivers may be advised to seek an alternative route… but where?
Traffic will be chaotic once the Hill high rise buildings are completed, particularly after the giant Bunnings, Williamsons Road and Eastern Golf club developments are built. The surrounding street layout offers no alternative options to service developments because they are either courts, Crescents or looped streets that go nowhere. There is a limit on the amount of traffic residential streets such as Boyd, Eildon and Frank will be able to carry without creating traffic gridlock in Tram Road, the main arterial road running north and south.
I read somewhere in council’s early propaganda that Doncaster Hill would be a desired destination rather than a drive through area. Well they have just about achieved that already, not because it is “a place to be”, as they say in their brochures, but because you will be stuck there in traffic with no alternative route available to avoid it.