More surveys on intersection
Additional traffic surveys will be undertaken at the Hopetoun Rd and Princes Ave intersection in Drouin before Baw Baw Shire decides on traffic management measures.
Council received a petition in May signed by 16 people expressing their concern that drivers were blocking the entrance to Hopetoun Rd from Princes Ave at peak times and requested ‘Keep Clear’ road marking.
Councillors requested officers prepare a report and report back to council.
However, council has now allowed an extra month for the report so that officers can undertake additional traffic surveys.
A report to council said Hopetoun Rd was a local urban road with a speed limit of 60km/h connecting Princes Way to Green Valley Drive over a distance of 2.2 km.
Princes Ave also is a local road with a speed limit of 50km/h and is a no through road.
The report said a seven day traffic survey undertaken in June 2017 revealed an average daily traffic volume of 2830 vehicles per day on Hopetoun Rd and only 128 vehicles per day on Princes Ave.
Vic Roads crash stats data showed in the past five years there had been no recorded crash at the intersection of Hopetoun Rd and Princes Ave.
The report said visual observations by council officers during peak times (8am to 10am and 3.30pm to 5.30pm) indicated the traffic did not usually queue along the Princes Avenue.
However, to assess this matter further, officers proposed that additional traffic surveys are completed during morning peak between 6.30am to 8am.
Cr Keith Cook said this intersection was used by a lot of people travelling out of town to the Latrobe Valley for work.
He said it would be appropriate for council officers to go back and look at the survey between 6.30am and 8.30am when people were travelling to work.
Cr Cook said council had to ensure this was done right because there would be no going back.
Cr Peter Kostos said he was concerned about the close proximity of Princes Way to Hopetoun Rd. He said it was important to get it right. Cr Tricia Jones spoke against the motion. She said 16 people had signed a petition and she wanted to give them a decision.
“Their concern is about people blocking the entrances.
“I am not sure why we ne need another surveillance. We’ve already spent a couple of days there at different times so I am not sure what difference the 6am surveillance will achieve,” she said.