State aid sought on flow

Cars pour into the centre from north of city

HOBART City Council will investigate ways to manage traffic on Macquarie and Davey Streets after a new report found the need for traffic flow improvements.

Most traffic coming into Hobart each morning during peak time originates from north of the city, according to State Government figures released at the weekend.

The Hobart Traffic OriginDestination Report, first reported in the Sunday Tasmanian, found most cars in the morning peak time between 7.30 and 9.30am — 7494 — came from north of the city, with 79 per cent travelling to the city.

In the same period, 5591 came from east of Hobart, with 76 per cent travelling to the city, and 4328 came from south, with 77 per cent travelling to the city.

The figures are from May last year when a numberplate survey was used to track cars passing through Hobart.

Cameras were installed at seven locations, with eastern traffic tracked at the Tasman Bridge, southern traffic on the Southern Outlet and Sandy Bay Rd and northern traffic at the Brooker Highway, New Town Rd, Augusta Rd and Mount Stuart Rd.

Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding said the findings reinforced the need for traffic flow improvements, notably on Macquarie and Davey Streets.

Lord Mayor Sue Hickey said the council would determine whether it should retain management of the two streets or pass responsibility to the State Government.

“We’re looking at a costbenefit analysis and also to make sure we’re doing the right thing by the people,” Alderman Hickey said. She said the council was also preparing a traffic strategy.

“We’re trying to solve the problem but I don’t think it’s ours to solve alone,” she said.

“We would like to have conversations with the Minister about anything we can do.”

The Opposition said the report, along with the recent TomTom Traffic Index — which showed delays during morning peak time were the second worst in the country — should have been a “wake-up call” for the State Government.

Opposition transport spokesman Craig Farrell said the Government “has no solution”.

Mr Farrell said improvements to public transport and free transport for students were part of Labor’s plan to help address traffic congestion.