Cynical ring

By 2031 Queanbeyan’s population is predicted to escalate to 68,970 people who will own 46,880 vehicles to clog the Queanbeyan road network.

You will be forgiven if you have ignored this latest Queanbeyan city traffic report, which joins a long list of traffic reports that have been completed over the past thirty years, each promising relief for downtown Monaro Street by sending the traffic on its merry way on a ring road around our town – such a simple concept.

Intermittently over those thirty years the community has jumped up and down about the promises, promises that were never implemented.

Devil in detail

The excuse given that the traffic reports were out of date and new assessments and new statistics were needed for a new study and a new report were predictable.

This latest traffic study, which has been on exhibition at council for your perusal and comment, is different.

Using the latest computer gadgetry to analyse shared financial contributions, census data, future growth, transport usage with predictions and intersections detailed on graphs and maps that make the mind boggle, this latest traffic report, is an impressive document that warns of things to come.

Looking glass

Called the “Queanbeyan 2031 Transport Report” this is a back to reality traffic report with commendable goals, which emphasise the need to maintain a “suitable” network performance to ensure the continued “safe and efficient movement of people and goods throughout Queanbeyan … to avoid travel delays [and] traffic diversion on to residential roads and the loss of local amenity”.

Jerrabomberra residents have been dismissive of the report because of their loss of local amenity through the building of the Edwin Land Parkway, which they say will divide their community.

Class dismissed

A late inclusion in Council’s Agenda for its meeting at 5.30 pm on Wednesday July 22, 2009, reported that the developer had agreed to pay for land and 50% of construction costs to build Dunn’s Road for Googong and Tralee residents future access, which may go a little way to appease the Jerra mob – but dreams to build a ring road, to divert the noise and pollution to make our CBD streets pedestrian friendly and enjoyable where residents can speak and hear each other, like days of yore, may never be a reality.

The short stretch of two-lane-road from the bridge to Atkinson Street will increase to four-lanes, which will mean traffic will pile up waiting to speed through Queanbeyan when the lights change and with no northern bypass planned that increased traffic predicted in Monaro Street – this may be the end of Queanbeyan as we now know it.

Read the report the Devil’s in the detail.

END

Footnotes / Resource

1. Queanbeyan City Council, “Queanbeyan 2031 Transport Report,” 2009.
2. Connee-Colleen, © “Queanbeyan Outlook (192): Cynical ring,”  The Queanbeyan Age, July 24, 2009, p. 13.

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