Engagement with the community will be in accordance with Council s Community Participation Policy.

Transcription

1 CLARENCE CITY COUNCIL ASSET MANAGEMENT 7 DEC ASSET MANAGEMENT CLARENCE STREET SAFETY ASSESSMENT PROJECT (File No ) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to consider the next phase of the Clarence Street Safety Assessment Project. To seek Council s approval to undertake public consultation on design options for improving safety for all users of Clarence Street. RELATION TO EXISTING POLICY/PLANS Council s Strategic Plan and Community Participation Policy are relevant. LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS There are no specific legislative requirements. CONSULTATION There has been consultation in relation to the Clarence Street Safety Assessment Report through the Clarence Street Collaborative Reference Group and Technical Working Group. Engagement with the community will be in accordance with Council s Community Participation Policy. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS Council s Annual Plan provided funding of $50,000 for this project. Until a recommendation is made on the preferred outcome resulting from the Technical Working Group and public consultation, there is no financial impact. RECOMMENDATION: A. That Council supports the Technical Working Group s agreed safety improvements for Clarence Street, being: provide consistent spacing of Bus Stops and align with pedestrian movements; provide discreet turning lanes, where possible, at intersections along Clarence Street; and rationalise the frequency and location of standouts and islands. B. That Council authorises the General Manager to undertake consultation with Bellerive Primary School and the Department of State Growth on the desirability and feasibility of traffic signalisation at the Scott Street/Clarence Street intersection.

2 CLARENCE CITY COUNCIL ASSET MANAGEMENT 7 DEC C. That Council authorises the General Manager to undertake a community consultation program based on Design Options 1 and 3, as set out in Attachments 1 and 2 to the Associated Report. D. That once the community consultation is complete a future Council Workshop is held on the results of the consultation program. ASSOCIATED REPORT 1. BACKGROUND 1.1. At its Meeting of 14 January 2008, Council adopted the Clarence Bicycle Action Plan 2007; in which Clarence Street was identified as a key commuter cyclist route that required safety improvements for cyclists At its Meeting of 30 November 2009, Council endorsed the Hobart Regional Arterial Bicycle Network Plan 2009 which also identified Clarence Street as an important arterial route for commuter cyclists SKM provided the final Clarence Street Safety Assessment report to Council in January A CD-ROM copy of the report was forwarded to all Aldermen on 7 February The author of the report, Dr Cameron Munro, Traffic Engineer SKM, presented his findings at a Council Workshop held on Monday, 20 June There was no clear direction provided by Council as a result of this presentation A review was undertaken of the Clarence Bicycle Action Plan 2007 during late 2012 and early The Clarence Bicycle Strategy and Action Plan was endorsed by Council at its Meeting held 29 July 2013; the Clarence Street project remains a key project in the revised document Council approved funding of $10,000 in the 2012/2013 Annual Plan to conduct public consultation relating to the Clarence Street Safety Assessment Report. The Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources (now Department of State Growth (DSG)) committed $10,000, making a total of $20,000 towards the public consultation.

3 CLARENCE CITY COUNCIL ASSET MANAGEMENT 7 DEC At its Meeting of 2 December 2013, Council authorised the General Manager to arrange a Council Workshop presentation relating to the collaborative process by a representative from Twyfords Consulting Max Hardy, Director Twyfords Consulting, presented the collaborative process of public consulting to the Aldermen at the Workshop held Monday, 20 January Council, at its Meeting of 3 February 2014 adopted the following: A. The Council authorises the General Manager to arrange community participation by following the Collaborative Process presented by Twyfords Consulting in relation to Clarence Street Safety Assessment Report prepared by Sinclair, Knight and Merz. B. The outcomes from the stakeholder group deliberations to be presented at a future Council Workshop A letter was sent to residents in and around Clarence Street inviting them to attend a public meeting held at St Marks Church on Monday, 12 May Forty nine people attended the public meeting after which Council received 20 expressions of interest to be a member of the Clarence Street Collaborative Reference Group (CSCRG). This list was reduced to a more manageable number of 14 people who represented a range of criteria such as age, sex, primary transport mode and interest groups from within the community The CSCRG met on 5 occasions during late 2014, working together through the collaborative process with a focus on the safety issues associated with Clarence Street and its user groups The CSCRG presented the outcomes of their deliberations at Council s Workshop held on Monday, 19 January 2015.

4 CLARENCE CITY COUNCIL ASSET MANAGEMENT 7 DEC The CSCRG identified 8 key landing points/recommendations to improve the safe use of Clarence Street for all road users, they are: (i) traffic lanes clearly defined; (ii) bus stops provide consistent spacing and align with pedestrian movements; (iii) turning lanes provide discreet turning lanes at all intersections; (iv) bike lanes provide safe designated bike lanes; (v) speed limit reduce speed limit to 50km/h; (vi) traffic lights investigate relocating pedestrian signals to Scott Street intersection; (vii) pinch points rationalise frequency and location of standouts and islands; and (viii) landscaping develop a consistent theme incorporating heritage values Council, at its Meeting of 2 February 2015 adopted: A. That Council receive the consultant s report on the collaborative process in relation to safety for all road users of Clarence Street. B. That Council authorise the General Manager to acknowledge, by letter, the valuable contributions made by all members of the Clarence Street Collaborative Reference Group. C. That Council authorise the General Manager to arrange for the assessment of feasibility and desirability of design options for Clarence Street with key interest groups based on the 8 recommendations of the consultant s report. D. The outcomes from the assessment of feasibility and desirability of design options for Clarence Street to be presented at a future Council Workshop.

5 CLARENCE CITY COUNCIL ASSET MANAGEMENT 7 DEC REPORT IN DETAIL 2.1. A letter was sent to technical experts and representatives inviting them to participate as a member of the Technical Working Group. Representatives from Metro, RACT, DSG and Bicycle Network Tasmania accepted the invitation to assist with assessing the feasibility and desirability of design options for Clarence Street. The Road Safety Council did not respond to the invitation The Technical Working Group met on 2 occasions, 15 and 30 September The Group considered 3 design options based on the 8 recommendations, they being: 1. safety improvements retaining existing parking conditions; 2. clearway zones shared parking and bike facilities including safety improvements; and 3. safety improvements with bike lanes on both sides and modified onstreet parking There was common ground amongst representatives of the Technical Working Group on several of the 8 recommendations, which are to be incorporated into all design options as agreed safety improvements, they are: bus stops to have more consistent spacing to align with pedestrian movements and rationalisation of low use bus stops; discreet turning lanes to be provided at all intersections; rationalise the frequency and location of standouts and islands to reduce pinch points for users; and landscaping to be determined following decision on agreed design option.

6 CLARENCE CITY COUNCIL ASSET MANAGEMENT 7 DEC The first of the 8 recommendations noted to provide clearly defined traffic lanes. Edge lanes create a defined area for particular users and provide confidence to those using the defined traffic lane. However, they create confusion should users wander from one lane to another. Also mix (shared) use of an area, for example clearways, creates confusion and increases risk of impacts The comments from DSG in regards to the provision of bike lanes are that this is a decision for Council. The width of the road in most areas along Clarence Street is not wide enough to accommodate parking on both sides. Therefore providing bike lanes reduces the amount of on-street parking available. Bicycle Network Tasmania explained bike lanes provide a designated space for cyclists, which is safer for the interaction between cyclists and drivers on the road network. The Technical Working Group was unable to obtain a unanimous decision on this item The Technical Working Group did not support a reduction in the speed limit from 60km/h to 50km/h as the lead-in roads such as Cambridge Road and Howrah Road currently have a 60km/h speed limit. Until such time a general review of speed limits within the City is undertaken, the recommendation is to retain the speed limit along Clarence Street at 60km/h The proposal to investigate the relocation of the pedestrian signals and crossing to the Scott Street intersection was supported, but suggested further consultation with Bellerive Primary School, as students of the school are the major user of the pedestrian crossing and nearby bus stop A recent survey revealed an average parking demand of 10% in Clarence Street with a minimum of 314 out of 349 spaces vacant at the time of the survey. The area west of Beach Street was the highest used area with 30% of spaces filled at the busiest time.

7 CLARENCE CITY COUNCIL ASSET MANAGEMENT 7 DEC The cyclist survey counted a maximum of 68 cyclists over an 11 hour survey period on Clarence Street. Further data obtained indicates Clarence Street is the main arterial route used by commuter cyclists in the vicinity Design Option 1 this option is to include all aspects of safety improvements stated in Section 2.3 and retain the existing configuration for on-street parking with no bike lanes. The issue that this option does not address, is the recommendation contained in the SKM Clarence Street Safety Assessment Report to improve definition of lateral road space, which relates to the meandering of vehicles being driven along Clarence Street within the existing wide travel lanes. The report notes: Defining the lateral road space will, in our view, help reduce the lateral variability in tracking of vehicles along Clarence Street and result in beneficial safety outcomes for motorists and other road users. The presence of a marked median is likely to have some benefits, mainly from reducing the likelihood of rear-end collisions by removing right turning vehicles from the through traffic flow. The only way of defining the lateral road space is to provide edge lines on both sides of the traffic lane; ie Options 2 and 3 considered by the Technical Working Group. Design Option 1 results in a wide shared space to be jointly used by moving vehicles, cyclists and parked cars Design Option 2 this design option is to include all aspects of safety improvements stated in Section 2.3 and time defined clearways along both sides of Clarence Street for morning and afternoon peak times. The clearway is a shared space for on-street parking and bike lanes with parking restrictions in place to allow for clear and safe cycling during peak times.

8 CLARENCE CITY COUNCIL ASSET MANAGEMENT 7 DEC The morning clearway is to operate between the hours of 7am to 9am on the westbound side of Clarence Street and the evening clearway to operate between the hours of 5pm to 7pm on the eastbound side of Clarence Street, to allow for clear and safe use by cyclists. During these 2 time periods on-street parking is to be prohibited. The Technical Working Group identified concern that should vehicles remain parked in the clearway overnight, then cyclists would be forced to deviate around the parked vehicles and cross into the vehicular travel lane. This could further contribute to the concern relating to unexpected behaviour and potential increase in crash risk. The Technical Working Group did not support further investigation of this design option Design Option 3 this design option is to include all aspects of safety improvements stated in Section 2.3 and provide bike lanes along both sides of Clarence Street with on-street parking on one side only. The on-street parking is proposed on the southern side between Douglas Street and High Street. It will change to the northern side between High Street and Lucas Street and change back to the southern side from Lucas Street through to Howrah Road intersection. The central section between High Street and Lucas Street has 2 large facilities on the south side of Clarence Street, South Street Reserve and Clarence High School, where parking demand is minimal. Hence the on-street parking being proposed on the northern side through this section of Clarence Street. The benefits for defined bike lanes include: clear definition of user space for cyclists and vehicles; and provides a buffer for parked vehicles, due to the additional width, when people access their parked vehicles and therefore safer. The issues with on-street parking on one side of Clarence Street are: some residents will not be able to park directly outside of their residence; and will increase pedestrian movements across Clarence Street.

9 CLARENCE CITY COUNCIL ASSET MANAGEMENT 7 DEC The Technical Working Group also agreed a proposal to revise the Clarence Street/Cambridge Road intersection to include a right hand turn from Cambridge Road, travelling north, into Clarence Street, warrants further investigation through a traffic (SIDRA) analysis. This is to confirm the proposal does not unduly affect Cambridge Road south travelling vehicle movements. The suggested proposal arose from a BOTP meeting as a means to improve vehicle movements from the Queen Street/Bellerive Quay environs to Clarence Street travelling east Options 1 and 3 were presented at Council s Workshop held on Monday, 23 November Aldermen indicated at the Workshop for this report to be presented at the next Council Meeting to confirm the design options to be presented to the broader public. Engagement with the community will be in accordance with Council s Community Participation Policy. The extent of public consultation will include: letters to residents in and which feed to Clarence Street areas; letters to interested groups; advertisement in The Mercury ; social media; and display in the Council foyer At the completion of the public consultation the results are to be presented to a Council Workshop for consideration and the adoption of a Master Plan for safety improvements to Clarence Street. 3. CONSULTATION 3.1. Community Consultation There has been consultation in relation to the Clarence Street Safety Assessment Report through the Clarence Street Collaborative Reference Group and Technical Working Group. Future engagement with the community will be in accordance with Council s Community Participation Policy.

10 CLARENCE CITY COUNCIL ASSET MANAGEMENT 7 DEC State/Local Government Protocol DSG provided a representative for the Technical Working Group Other Metro, RACT and Bicycle Network Tasmania provided representations for the Technical Working Group. The Road Safety Council did not respond to the invitation. 4. STRATEGIC PLAN/POLICY IMPLICATIONS Council s Strategic Plan is applicable, part of the Public Spaces and Amenity Strategy is to: Develop plans to improve the amenity of public spaces, including: implementation of Tracks and Trails Plan and Cycle Plan. 5. EXTERNAL IMPACTS Nil at this stage of the process. 6. RISK AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS Not applicable at this stage of the process. 7. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS There are no immediate financial implications until Council has considered the feedback following the public consultation of the design options. Funds are available within the current Annual Plan to undertake the community consultation program. 8. ANY OTHER UNIQUE ISSUES Nil.

11 CLARENCE CITY COUNCIL ASSET MANAGEMENT 7 DEC CONCLUSION 9.1. There have been valuable contributions made by all members of the Clarence Street Collaborative Reference Group through engaging in a complex issue to provide Council with recommendations to improve safety for all road users of Clarence Street Consultation with members of the Technical Working Group including Metro, RACT, DSG and Bicycle Tasmania to assist with the feasibility and desirability for the design options has provided direction to this project Clarence Street is a major connector road through the suburbs of Bellerive and Howrah linking the southern suburbs with the CBD area and onto greater Hobart. Improving safety of Clarence Street for all users is important to many people and to provide facilities that meet the needs of users will enhance the roads usability. Seeking feedback from the broader community will assist Council in deciding the final outcome to adopt a Master Plan to improve safety for users of Clarence Street into the future. Attachments: 1. Design Option 1 Safety Improvements Retaining Existing Parking Conditions (1) 2. Design Option 2 Safety Improvements with Bike Lanes on Both Sides and Modified On-street Parking (1) Ross Graham ACTING GROUP MANAGER ASSET MANAGEMENT

12 Attachment 1

13 Attachment 2