Traffic Issues in Avenues

A group of residents (NPSP Residents’ Traffic Management Group) has recently started meeting over concerns about poor management of traffic and parking along many the Avenues, particularly First and Second in the St Peters, Joslin and Royston Park areas of our Council.

The concerns include:

  • “rat-running” – motorists using residential streets as a by-pass from Lower Portrush and Payneham Roads, and often at high speeds
  • the increasing number of businesses, particularly along Payneham Road, that have no or very limited parking for their employees. Consequently, more people are parking in the Avenues while they are at work. Sometimes this means that those who live in the area cannot find a parking place in close to their homes.
  • the increasing number of cars using the Avenues a throughfare. A recent survey identified that at least 2000 cars use First Ave every day. These figures were taken during the 2020 Covid lock down period, so the number is likely to be an under- estimate.
  • the high speeds many motorists use along suburban / residential streets
  • damage occurring on many round-abouts and kerbs along the Avenues
  • increased potential risk of accidents – young children on bikes, residents walking their dogs, older people walking in our neighbourhood who use walking frames and / or walking aids - due to the speed of traffic and motorists using the streets as alternatives to major roads
  • difficulty many residents are experiencing trying to park their cars within close proximity to their homes.

Despite several attempts to encourage members of Council to take positive action, the group has been very disappointed with the minimising of their concerns and dismissing the issues as not being of enough significance to engage with their residents and in effect their employers.

What the group is trying to achieve:

  • Improve the community-wellbeing, safety, and residential amenity within the Council area.
  • Improve the residential street appeal with garden beds and median strips that deflect and calm traffic.
  • Significantly reduce non-resident through-traffic.
  • Reduce the area’s speed to 40km/hr on residential streets.
  • Improve parking turn-over during business hours.

If you would like to find out more, please contact us at info@stpeters.asn.au>