consultative traffic forum - sutherland shire · 3/3/2017 · consultative traffic forum 3 march...

Business Paper

Consultative Traffic Forum

Friday, 3 March 2017

8:30am

Committee Rooms 203 and 204,

Level 2, Administration Building

4-20 Eton Street, Sutherland

Consultative Traffic Forum 3 March 2017

ORDER OF BUSINESS

1. APOLOGIES

2. DISCLOSURES OF INTEREST

3. REPORTS FROM OFFICERS – CONSULTATIVE TRAFFIC FORUM

CTF005-17 Gannons Road, Woolooware/Caringbah - Traffic Congestion and Pedestrian

and Cyclist Safety

4. LATE REPORTS TABLED AT MEETING (if any)

5. LATE MATTERS RAISED AT MEETING (if any)


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CTF005-17 GANNONS ROAD, WOOLOOWARE/CARINGBAH - TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST SAFETY

Attachments: Appendix A and Appendix B

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

· Traffic delays during the weekday PM peak period in Gannons Road, southbound, extending

back to and into Captain Cook Drive. These delays are caused by the original, narrow railway

bridge that does not allow for any additional road widening.

· Concerns for pedestrian and cyclist safety due to sub-standard footpath widths under original

railway bridge.

· Potential for current problems to be exacerbated due to redevelopment of the Sharks site and

potential redevelopment of the Toyota site.

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

THAT:

1. The Consultative Traffic Forum note the adverse traffic conditions of extensive queuing and

delays for south bound traffic along Gannons Road between Kingsway and Captain Cook

Drive during the PM peak period.

2. The State Government be requested to upgrade the original (westbound) rail bridge structure

across Gannons Road, south of Denman Avenue such that a five lane capacity with a

standard footpath provided on the western side of Gannons Road and a shared pathway on

the eastern side of Gannons Road.

3. A pedestrian/cycle facility be integrated into the design of the new railway bridge that would

enable cyclists and pedestrians to safely cross over Gannons Road and satisfy the ultimate

recommendation for the Sutherland to Cronulla Active Transport Link (SCATL) at this location.


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LOCATION

Gannons Road, Woolooware/Caringbah between Kingsway and Denman Avenue/Captain Cook Drive.

REFERRAL TO COMMITTEE

· Strategy 2 of Council's Annual Operating Plan calls for lobbying of State Government for

widening of the Gannons Road railway bridge.

· Observations by Council's Traffic and Transport Unit, ongoing community concern and previous

representations to Transport for NSW and the State Government.

ISSUES

· Extensive traffic delays during the weekday PM peak period in Gannons Road, southbound,

extending back to, and beyond the Captain Cook Drive roundabout. Extensive delays have also

been observed on Saturday mornings during winter when junior sports are underway.

· Concerns for pedestrian and cyclist safety due to sub-standard footpath widths under original

railway bridge.

PREVIOUS CONSIDERATION BY CONSULTATIVE TRAFFIC FORUM

STR067-07 - Proposed Road Widening as part of Rail Duplication

STR091-10 - No Stopping Restrictions

STR025-11 - No Stopping Restrictions

COMMENTS FROM INVESTIGATING OFFICER Background Gannons Road, between Captain Cook Drive and Kingsway is an Arterial Road which forms a regional

link between two State Roads. Recent counts have indicated that Gannons Road now has an AADT of

15,986 vehicles. The AADT for this road was 15,361 in 2004. This equates to an annual increase of

only 0.3% which is much lower than what is normally expected. It could be argued that this is due to

the extensive delays experienced during peak periods and local drivers are choosing alternative

routes.

The extensive southbound delays in Gannons Road during the PM peak have been an issue for many

years. These delays are caused primarily by the narrow carriageway width of Gannons Road at the

original westbound railway bridge. Council lobbied the State Government to address this issue as part

of the Review of Environmental Factors in association with the rail duplication project that was

ultimately constructed between 2007 and 2010. Council also raised the issue verbally numerous times

in meetings prior to the commencement of this important project. In November 2006, Council’s Traffic

and Transport Manager submitted a report to the Sutherland Traffic Committee (STR067-07), outlining

the issues and recommending that the State Government widen the original bridge crossing.

Unfortunately, these works were deemed outside the scope of the proposed works and all

recommendations by Council dismissed. As expected, the same problems revealed in the original

report continue to be a significant problem with regard to traffic flow and pedestrian and cyclist safety

and accessibility.


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Traffic Flow

Video surveillance and Intersection counts were undertaken in late 2015 at the intersections of

Gannons Road and Kingsway as well as Gannons Road and Denman Avenue. Modelling of these

intersections was undertaken and the results are attached as Appendices A and B.

Existing The key findings from the existing intersection analysis are:

· During AM peak, Kingsway / Gannons Road intersection operates at capacity with LoS E.

Vehicles turning right from Kingsway East into Gannons Road experience significant delay and

queuing. On many occasions the right turn queue extends beyond the storage bay into the

adjacent through lane. Gannons Road south also experiences long delays and queuing.

· During the AM peak, Gannons Road / Denman Avenue intersection operates at an acceptable

LoS of C or better with minimal delay and queue.

· During PM peak, both intersections operate at an unacceptable LoS of F with long delay and

queue.

· During PM peak hour, the queue experienced on Gannons Road north approach (maximum

queue of 195m) at the Kingsway / Gannons Road intersection potentially impacts on all

southbound movements at the Gannons Road / Denman Avenue intersection. Due to the

downstream queue, on many occasions southbound vehicles from Denman Avenue and

Gannons Road at the Gannons Road / Denman Avenue intersection could not get through the

intersection resulting in a loss of green time for southbound vehicles.

· During PM peak hour, Gannons Road north and Denman Avenue west approaches at the

Gannons Road / Denman Avenue intersection experience significant delay and long queues.

The queue on Gannons Road north approach (maximum queue of 689m) extends beyond the

Captain Cook Drive Roundabout.

Information to note in relation to these findings:

· A Level of Service (LoS) E for a signalised intersection indicates that the intersection is

operating "at capacity; at signals incidents will cause excessive delays".

· A Level of Service (LoS) F for a signalised intersection indicates that the intersection is

"unsatisfactory and requires additional capacity at signals".

· The southbound queue length of 689 metres exceeds the 490 metre queue length recorded in

2006 by close to 200 metres.

Proposed Widening If the southern railway bridge was widened to allow for the provision of three traffic lanes southbound

and two northbound, modelling of these intersections has indicated the following key findings:

· The proposed upgrade would slightly improve the Kingsway / Gannons Road intersection

performance during both AM and PM peak.


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· During AM peak, the Gannons Road / Denman Avenue intersection LoS would be better (from

LoS C to LoS B) compared to existing traffic conditions.

· With the proposed upgrade, during PM peak hour, the performance of the Gannons Road /

Denman Avenue intersection will be significantly improved.

· During PM peak hour, the Gannons Road / Denman Avenue intersection would operate at an

acceptable LoS B with delay of 24s (delay reduced from existing 146s to 24s) resulting in an

average vehicle travel time savings of 2 minutes compare to existing conditions. In addition,

there is a significant reduction in queue length (from 689m to 167m) on Gannons Road north

approach.

Pedestrian and Cyclist Movements - Gannons Road

Footpath widths under the original railway bridge (face of kerb to face of tunnel wall) are on average

1.05 metres on the eastern side of the road and 0.62 metres on the western side of the road. When

one considers that the standard width of a Council footpath is 1.5 metres in areas of high pedestrian

activity, the existing facilities in Gannons road are grossly inadequate. These narrow pathways are

bounded by a vertical brick wall on one side and an arterial road on the other. There is insufficient

width for pedestrians or cyclists to safely pass at this location.

Numerous pedestrian counts and observations have been undertaken in Gannons Road at the railway

bridge over recent years. What has become apparent is the increase in pedestrian and cyclist

volumes, particularly on Monday afternoons during the summer Oztag season. Attached are

numerous photos indicating very young children passing through the tunnel, mainly on the eastern

side of Gannons Road but also on the western side on occasions. Oztag is played at Jenola Oval and

many parents park on the southern footpath area of Denman Avenue, both east and west of Gannons

Road.

A recent 2.5 hour count on a Monday afternoon during December (3pm - 5.30pm) indicated the

following pedestrian and cyclist movements:

· 77 cyclists (including students from Woolooware High School and Burraneer Primary School);

· 185 adult pedestrians; and

· 229 school age children.

On other occasions people on mobility scooters and mums with double prams have been observed

negotiating the eastern footpath. Some pedestrians choose to travel along the western footpath

however they are in the minority. Of some concern is the fact that some parents have been observed

walking along this western footpath with young children. During the winter months, numerous children

have been observed riding and walking through this tunnel to and from sports training in the evening.


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Sutherland to Cronulla Active Transport Link (SCATL)

SCATL is a proposed 11km pedestrian and cycle link between Sutherland and Cronulla that follows

(generally) the railway corridor. Council has been working with Transport for NSW and their

consultants in recent years to develop the most appropriate outcome. The current proposal for this

facility indicates that the SCATL would utilise the southern side of the railway corridor on both the

eastern and western approach to Gannons Road. In the short term it is envisaged that pedestrians

and cyclists will utilise the footpath areas of Gannons Road and the signalised crossing at the

Kingsway to negotiate the crossing of Gannons Road. The ultimate goal is to provide a bridge over

Gannons Road for pedestrians and cyclists that could be installed in conjunction with the replacement

of the original railway bridge. When one considers the current safety issues for pedestrians and

cyclists and the traffic congestion caused by the narrowness of the original bridge in Gannons Road,

there is strong justification to replace the original bridge now and incorporate the SCATL overpass into

the scope of works.

Short Term Proposal for Gannons Road

In an effort to address the queue length for southbound motorists in Gannons Road, there is a

corresponding report on the agenda of the 3 March 2017 Sutherland Traffic and Traffic Safety

Committee Meeting. This proposal entails the provision of No Stopping signposting (weekday PM

peak times only) on the eastern side of Gannons Road between Denman Avenue and Captain Cook

Drive. This will allow motorists to queue in two lanes rather than one, thus reducing the length of the

queue and the impact on traffic flow on Captain Cook Drive.

However, it should be reinforced that this proposal will not reduce delays in Gannons Road or improve

the level of service at the intersections with Denman Avenue and the Kingsway. The only way that

these intersections can be improved is if the original bridge is widened and five traffic lanes are

provided in Gannons Road between Kingsway and Denman Avenue. This bridge replacement

proposal is also imperative for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists travelling along Gannons Road.

Local Development

With an increasing population there is an ever increasing demand on all levels of Government to

provide more affordable housing through the provision of higher density development while at the

same time reducing urban sprawl. The area to the north of Gannons Road is currently undergoing a

transformation with the construction of the Sharks redevelopment comprising a large scale residential

and commercial development including a new retail centre and over 400 residential units. Stage 1 of

the residential component has already been completed.

There is also the accumulative effect of smaller scale residential development in the large residential

catchment areas to the south of Kingsway and the future potential redevelopment of the Toyota site at

the northern end of Gannons Road.


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Increased development of this nature will continue to place increasing pressure on Gannons Road for

both vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist movements.

FINANCIAL / RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

Previous representations to the State Government have not been successful in attracting support for

the bridge widening. The most recent advice from the previous Minister for Transport was that

widening of Gannons Road was a Council issue including widening of the rail bridge. Council disputes

this position and is of the view that:

· The costs associated with widening the bridge are beyond Council's funding capacity.

· The bridge should have been widened as part of the rail duplication project.

· The traffic volumes and resulting congestion in Gannons Road not only affects the State road

network but is also attributable to insufficient capacity within the State network.

LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix A - Gannons Road Intersection Performance Summary

Appendix B - Photos of Conditions at Gannons Road

File Number: 2015/216897

Gannons Road Modelling

The performance of the Gannons Road / Denman Avenue and Kingsway / Gannons Road intersections was assessed based on intersection level of service using the SIDRA network models.

Level of Service

Level of Service is a basic performance measures assigned to an intersection based on average delay. For signalised intersection, Level of Service is based on the average delay to all vehicles passing through the intersection. For priority-controlled and roundabout intersections, Level of Service is based on the average delay for the worst approach. The RMS Level of Service criteria is provided in Table 1.1

Table 1.1: RMS Level of Service Criteria

Level of Service Average Delay Per Vehicle

(sec)

Traffic Signal and Roundabout

Give Way and Stop Signs

A <14 Good operation Good operation B 15 to 28 Good with acceptable

delays & spare capacity Acceptable delays &

spare capacity C 29 to 42 Satisfactory Satisfactory, but accident

study required D 43 to 56 Operating near capacity Near capacity & accident

study required E 57 to 70 At capacity; at signals

incidents will cause excessive delays.

Roundabouts require other control mode

At capacity, requires other control mode

F >70 Unsatisfactory and requires additional capacity at signals.

Roundabouts require other control mode

Unsatisfactory and requires other control

mode.

Level of


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Intersection Performance

Existing Intersection Analysis:

The performance of the existing intersections was determined using the SIDRA network models. A summary of results is provided in Table 1.2.

Table 1.2: Existing Intersection Performance, 2015

Intersection Scenarios Period Intersection Avg Delay

(s)

Intersection 95% Q (m)

Intersection LoS

Kingsway / Gannons

Road

Existing AM 69 240

E

Existing PM 86 342

F

Gannons Road /

Denman Avenue

Existing AM 34 135

C

Existing PM 146 689

F

Average The key findings from the existing intersection analysis are: • During AM peak, Kingsway / Gannons Road intersection operate at capacity with LoS E. Vehicle

turning right from Kingsway East into Gannons Road experiences significant delay and queue. On many occasions right turn queue exceed beyond storage bay and overspill to adjacent through lane. Gannons Road south also experience long delay and queue.

• During the AM peak, Gannons Road / Denman Avenue intersection operate at an acceptable LoS of C or better with minimal delay and queue.

• During PM peak, both intersections operate at an unacceptable LoS of F with long delay and queue.

• During PM peak hour, the queue experienced on Gannons Road north approach (maximum queue of 195m) at the Kingsway / Gannons Road intersection is potentially impact on the all southbound movements at the Gannons Road / Denman Avenue intersection. Due to the downstream queue, on many occasions southbound vehicles from Denman Avenue and Gannons Road at the Gannons Road / Denman Avenue intersection could not get through the intersection result in a loss of green time for southbound vehicles.

• During PM peak hour, Gannons Road north and Denman Avenue west approaches at the Gannons Road / Denman Avenue intersection experienced significant delay and long queues. The queue on Gannons Road north approach (maximum queue of 689m) reach beyond Captain Cook Dr Roundabout.


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Future Intersection Analysis:

The performance of the intersections with the proposed upgrade is determined using the SIDRA network models. A summary of results is provided in Table 1.3.

Table 1.3: Intersection Performance with proposed upgrade, 2015

Intersection Scenarios Period Intersection Avg Delay

(s)

Intersection 95% Q (m)

Intersection LoS

Kingsway / Gannons

Road

With Upgrade AM 66 240 E

With Upgrade PM 75 324

F

Gannons Road /

Denman Avenue

With Upgrade AM 18 103 B

With Upgrade PM 24 167

B

Average The key findings from the intersection analysis with proposed upgrade are: • The proposed upgrade would slightly improve the Kingsway / Gannons Road intersection

performance during both AM and PM peak. • During AM peak, the Gannons Road / Denman Avenue intersection LoS would be better (from

LoS C to LoS B) compare to existing traffic conditions. • With the proposed upgrade, during PM peak hour, the performance of the Gannons Road /

Denman Avenue intersection will be significantly improved. • During PM peak hour, the Gannons Road / Denman Avenue intersection would operate at an

acceptable LoS B with delay of 24s (delay reduce from existing 146s to 24s) result in a average vehicle travel time savings of 2 minutes compare to existing conditions. In addition, there is a significant reduction in queue length (from 689m to 167m) on Gannons Road north approach.

Way Recommendation:

In order to improve capacity of Gannons Road / Denman Avenue intersection it is recommended to widen the road carriageway to provide three approach lanes on Gannons Road at the Kingsway / Gannons Road intersection between Denman Avenue and Kingsway. It is considered necessary to replace the existing old railway bridge deck on Gannons Road with new one to accommodate required widening of the road carriageway.


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consultative traffic forum - sutherland shire · 3/3/2017 · consultative traffic forum 3 march...

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