Department of State Growth Hobart Bus Mall - Temporary Partial Relocation Proposal Traffic Impact Assessment and Safety Analysis
June 2017
This report: has been prepared by GHD for Department of State Growth and may only be used and relied on by Department of State Growth for the purpose agreed between GHD and the Department of State Growth as set out in GHD’s fee proposal dated 24 March 2017 for Contract No. 2220-2-69.
GHD otherwise disclaims responsibility to any person other than Department of State Growth arising in connection with this report. GHD also excludes implied warranties and conditions, to the extent legally permissible.
The services undertaken by GHD in connection with preparing this report were limited to those specifically detailed in the report and are subject to the scope limitations set out in the report.
The opinions, conclusions and any recommendations in this report are based on conditions encountered and information reviewed at the date of preparation of the report. GHD has no responsibility or obligation to update this report to account for events or changes occurring subsequent to the date that the report was prepared.
The opinions, conclusions and any recommendations in this report are based on assumptions made by GHD described in this report. GHD disclaims liability arising from any of the assumptions being incorrect.
GHD has prepared this report on the basis of information provided by Department of State Growth and others who provided information to GHD (including Government authorities), which GHD has not independently verified or checked beyond the agreed scope of work. GHD does not accept liability in connection with such unverified information, including errors and omissions in the report which were caused by errors or omissions in that information.
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Executive summary
This report has considered the potential impacts of a Proposal to relocate the departure points for Metro Tasmania’s Eastern Shore bus services from the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall to Elizabeth Street and Macquarie Street. The relocation of bus stops is required to facilitate the construction of a new hotel on Elizabeth Street and associated partial closure of Elizabeth Street. The Proposal
The Proposal assessed in this report includes the following key features:
Temporary Bus Stop Locations: – Stop M located on Elizabeth Street adjacent to Franklin Square and catering for 38 services daily (18 services during the 2-hour PM Peak period); and – Stop J located on Macquarie Street, between Elizabeth Street and Argyle Street, and catering for 123 services daily (24 services during the 2-hour PM Peak period). New Layover on Elizabeth Street opposite Franklin Square (outside Town Hall); and
New Bus Stop on Macquarie Street, downstream of Campbell Street (relocated from Campbell Street). In addition to the above, the Proposal includes the following road closures:
Elizabeth Street Bus Mall (westbound) closed to all traffic except those vehicles associated with construction activities as required; and
Elizabeth Street between Davey Street and Macquarie Street closed to general traffic with buses, bicycles, taxis and local traffic excepted. A range of other traffic management treatments were considered in this report, however these treatments are considered to be impact mitigation measures and did not form part of the base Proposal. Design Requirements Stop M
The minimum provision at Stop M is a single bus stop operating independently. In order to accommodate occasional articulated buses, the minimum clear length required is 40 metres including 14 metres for draw-in and 8 metres for draw-out. It is considered that the position of Stop M is interchangeable with the layover and could be provided at the western end of the block (near the Macquarie Street junction) or outside the Franklin Square amenities block. Stop J
The minimum provision at Stop J is a dual bus stop under “nose-to-tail” operation. In order to accommodate simultaneous use by rigid and articulated buses, the minimum clear length required is 55.5 metres including 14 metres for draw-in and 8 metres for draw-out.
The location of Stop J is complicated by a number of factors including the following:
Existing building entry ramp which limits the available footpath space at the front of the stop, where passenger loading would occur;
Existing canopy extends to the kerb-line and does not allow the minimum 600 mm clearance required to accommodate the body clearance of entering and exiting buses; and
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Existing left turn lane into Argyle Street requires buses exiting Stop J to cross 2 lanes of traffic in order to continue along Macquarie Street.
If Stop J is to be utilised, the following works will be required in order to mitigate the above issues:
Build footpath out by a minimum of 600 mm to provide adequate clearance for buses and to improve the available footpath width at the front of the stop; and
Reduce Macquarie Street adjacent to Stop J to 3 lanes with a short, left-turn lane commencing immediately following the front of Stop J. Contra-Flow Bicycle Lane
A potential westbound (contra-flow) bicycle lane within the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall was considered in this report. Given the risk of collision between buses and bicycles, the following minimum design standards are adopted:
Minimum width of 2.0 metres
Minimum separation between the bicycle lane and the eastbound traffic lane of 1.0 metres (painted chevrons)
Clear and well-maintained pavement markings, including provision of bicycle stencils and directional arrows at each end of the Bus Mall and at regular intervals It is noted that provision of a contra-flow bicycle treatment will significantly limit the width available for the construction zone and may not be feasible depending on the requirements for construction. The Key Impacts
The main impacts of the base proposal detailed above were as follows:
Reduce bus travel times by up to 96 seconds for Eastern Shore services departing Stop M, and by up to 3 minutes for those services departing Stop J, during the PM Peak period;
Relatively minor draw-out delays for Stop M due to low traffic using Elizabeth Street;
Draw-out delays not considered significant for Stop J due to congestion/queuing on Macquarie Street and the legal obligation for vehicles to give way to buses pulling out of stops;
Minor increase in queuing at Macquarie Street / Argyle Street junction due to the left-hand lane being converted to a short lane in order to accommodate Stop J;
Up to 125 vehicles per hour requiring redirection from Elizabeth Street during the peak periods as a result of the closure;
Up to 90 additional vehicles using Murray Street during the peak periods resulting in additional delays along the Murray Street corridor, most notably in the AM Peak period;
Minor increase in delays along other roads including Macquarie Street, Davey Street and Harrington Street during the AM Peak period; and
Negligible change in network performance in the PM Peak period.
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Mitigation Treatments
The following traffic management treatments were found to have an overall positive impact on traffic capacity in the external network and aid in mitigating the impacts of the Proposal:
Implement the partial road closure on Elizabeth Street, between Davey Street and Macquarie Street, in the westbound direction only thereby maintaining the benefits to Stop M operation while allowing eastbound traffic to utilise Elizabeth Street and relieving Murray Street;
Provide an additional left-turn signal at the Elizabeth Street / Macquarie Street junction in order to allow a third phase (Phase A1) to be provided at this junction whereby vehicles can turn left out of Elizabeth Street, into the Macquarie Street contra-flow lane, during the Macquarie Street phase;
Provide peak period parking restrictions on the left-hand side of Macquarie Street, between Argyle Street and Campbell Street, and on both sides of Macquarie Street, between Campbell Street and Evans Street, in order to improve the efficiency of Macquarie Street heading outbound from the Hobart CBD;
Modify the intersection of Davey Street and Murray Street to remove the existing pedestrian crossing point on the southern Davey Street leg of the junction; – It is noted that this treatment results in detrimental impacts to pedestrian access and safety and active discouragement of pedestrian crossings at this location would be required if the pedestrian crossing point is to be removed. Key Recommendations
This report makes the following key recommendations:
Metro implement a policy by which dead running buses should be required to give way to active buses attempting to draw out from stops and enter the traffic lane.
If the contra-flow bicycle lane within the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall is to be implemented, it should have a minimum width of 2.0 metres and be located 1.0 metres clear of the eastbound traffic lane to provide sufficient clearance to entering and exiting buses.
– Note that if the above dimensions cannot be provided given the extent of the work zone, the contra-flow bicycle lane treatment should not be included. An alternative option should be considered in which Elizabeth Street is restricted to general traffic in the westbound direction only, maintaining eastbound access.
A dedicated left-turn phase be provided for vehicles turning left from Elizabeth Street into the Macquarie Street contra-flow lane, running along with the Macquarie Street green phase. – Note that a Left Turn on Red (LTOR) treatment is not recommended due to safety impacts given the high volumes of crossing pedestrians at this location (as specified in Australian Standards). That pedestrian safety concerns are addressed prior to the implementation of any pedestrian crossing removal at the Davey Street / Murray Street junction. Conclusion
The Proposal to relocate the departure points for Metro Tasmania’s Eastern Shore bus services from the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall to Elizabeth Street and Macquarie Street is supported subject to the design requirements and the key recommendations outlined above.
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Table of contents
1. Introduction...... 7 1.1 Background ...... 7 1.2 Purpose of This Report ...... 7 1.3 Study Area ...... 7 1.4 Referenced Materials ...... 8 1.5 Report Structure ...... 8 2. Proposal ...... 9 2.1 Temporary Bus Stop Locations ...... 9 2.2 Traffic Management Measures ...... 10 3. Traffic Modelling ...... 13 3.1 Traffic Modelling Process ...... 13 3.2 Model Calibration and Validation ...... 15 3.3 Traffic Modelling Results...... 15 4. Impacts Assessment ...... 17 4.1 Closure of Elizabeth Street Bus Mall ...... 17 4.2 Closure of Elizabeth Street ...... 28 4.3 Bus Priority Measures ...... 31 4.4 Other Treatments ...... 38 5. Risk Assessment ...... 39 5.1 Basis ...... 39 5.2 Risk Assessment ...... 40 6. Conclusions ...... 44 6.1 Bus Performance ...... 44 6.2 Network Assessment ...... 45 6.3 Summary of Recommendations ...... 47
Table index
Table 1 Eastern Shore Services to be Relocated ...... 9 Table 2 Proposed Stop M Bus Services ...... 9 Table 3 Proposed Stop J Bus Services ...... 10 Table 4 Traffic Modelling Results – General Network Performance ...... 15 Table 5 Traffic Modelling Results – Travel Times (Key Cross-City Routes) ...... 16 Table 6 Design Standards for Bus Zones ...... 18 Table 7 Stop M Route Travel Times (m:ss) ...... 20 Table 8 Macquarie Street / Argyle Street Modelling (Lane Summaries) ...... 24
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Table 9 Macquarie Street / Argyle Street – Probability of Blockage ...... 24 Table 10 Stop J Route Travel Times (m:ss) ...... 25 Table 11 Turning Movements – Elizabeth Street (excludes buses) ...... 29 Table 12 Change in Delays (m:ss)...... 30 Table 13 Elizabeth Street / Macquarie Street Junction Performance ...... 35 Table 14 Murray Street / Davey Street Junction Performance ...... 36 Table 15 Likelihood ...... 40 Table 16 Consequence ...... 40 Table 17 Risk Matrix ...... 40 Table 18 Potential Stop Relocation and Bus Priority Measures Risk Assessment ...... 41 Table 19 Eastern Shore Route Travel Times – to Tasman Highway (m:ss) ...... 44
Figure index
Figure 1 Study Area ...... 7 Figure 2 Proposed Stop Relocation and Mitigation Treatments ...... 12 Figure 3 Microsimulation Pocket Extents ...... 13 Figure 4 Hobart Mesoscopic Model Area ...... 14 Figure 5 Modelled Travel Time Routes ...... 16 Figure 6 Existing and Proposed Outbound Bus Routes ...... 17 Figure 7 Bus Zone Design Standards ...... 18 Figure 8 Stop M and Layover – Elizabeth Street ...... 19 Figure 9 Stop M – Potential Conflicts ...... 21 Figure 10 Stop J – Macquarie Street ...... 22 Figure 11 Stop J Mitigation Treatments ...... 23 Figure 12 Stop J – Potential Conflicts ...... 26 Figure 13 Bicycle Contra-Flow Lane (Indicative) ...... 28 Figure 14 Elizabeth Street Closure – Alternative Routes ...... 29 Figure 15 Elizabeth Street / Macquarie Street Junction ...... 33 Figure 16 Three-Phase Arrangement ...... 34 Figure 17 Murray Street / Davey Street Junction ...... 36 Figure 18 Proposed Relocated Bus Stop – Macquarie Street ...... 39
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1. Introduction
1.1 Background
GHD was engaged by the Department of State Growth to undertake a traffic and road safety assessment of a proposal to relocate bus stops from the western side of the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall for a period of approximately 2 years commencing June 2017.
The relocation of bus stops is required to facilitate the construction of a new hotel on Elizabeth Street and associated partial closure of Elizabeth Street.
1.2 Purpose of This Report
The purpose of this report is to document the traffic impacts of the bus stop relocation proposal, to assess proposed bus priority measures and to provide recommendations to mitigate any traffic capacity of road safety issues that may arise.
1.3 Study Area
The Study Area comprises the Hobart Bus Interchange and immediate surrounds, including parts of Elizabeth Street, Davey Street, Murray Street and Macquarie Street. The extents of the Study Area are presented in Figure 1.
Elizabeth Street Bus Mall
Study Area
Figure 1 Study Area Base image source: LISTMap, DPIPWE
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1.4 Referenced Materials
The following documents and materials were referred to during the preparation of this report: Maps and Timetables, Metro Tasmania, www.metrotas.com.au/timetables
Hobart Mesoscopic Model (the Model), GHD 2016/17
Hobart Central Bus Interchange – Bus Swap, Traffic Assessment Report, GHD 2015 NSW State Transit Bus Infrastructure Guide Issue 2, 2011
NSW State Transit Bus Stop Style Guide: Part 1 – Design Manual
Guide to Road Design – Part 3: Geometric Design, Austroads 2016 Guide to Traffic Management – Part 10: Traffic Control and Communication Devices, Austroads 2009 Australian Standard AS1742.14, Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices – Part 14: Traffic signals, Standards Australia 2014
Hobart Public Spaces and Public Life, Gehl Architects 2010
1.5 Report Structure
This report is structured as follows: Section 1 – Introduction outlines the project background, the purpose of this report and defines the study area. Section 2 – Proposal describes the proposed temporary bus stop locations, and traffic management measures to be implemented.
Section 3 – Traffic Modelling outlines the traffic modelling process using the Hobart Mesoscopic Model and the key network modelling outputs. Section 4 – Impacts Assessment details the traffic and safety implications of the proposal. Section 5 – Risk Assessment provides a detailed risk assessment undertaken for the project with regard to operational risks, safety risks and public concern.
Section 6 – Conclusions summarises the key findings and recommendations of the report.
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2. Proposal
2.1 Temporary Bus Stop Locations The proposed construction zone on Elizabeth Street will require the closure of the westbound side of the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall. All bus services currently using Stops A, B, C and D will require relocation. These stops are used by the Eastern Shore services summarised in Table 1.
Table 1 Eastern Shore Services to be Relocated
Existing Routes Total Number of Departing Services Stop Daily AM Peak PM Peak (7:30-9:30) (4:30-6:30)
Stop A 601, 614, 615, 616, 624, 96 13 15 625, 634, 635, 646
Stop B 606, X15, X16, X34, X44, 19 0 13 X45, 676
Stop C 654, 655, 664 20 1 6
Stop D 685, 695 26 2 8
Total All Routes 161 16 42
Since the proposed scenario will be in effect in the short term only, no allowance for growth in services has been allowed for in this assessment.
2.1.1 Stop M – Elizabeth Street
The existing layover area designated Stop M, located on the southern (westbound) side of Elizabeth Street adjacent to Franklin Square, will be utilised for Risdon Vale, Geilston Bay, Lindisfarne and all Eastern Express (PM Peak) services. Services using this route are summarised in Table 2.
Table 2 Proposed Stop M Bus Services
Existing Routes Total Number of Departing Services Stop Daily AM Peak PM Peak (7:30-9:30) (4:30-6:30)
Stop B X15, X16, X34, X44, X45 11 0 9
Stop C X64 1 0 1
Stop D 685, 695 26 2 8
Total All Routes 38 2 18 Stop M
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2.1.2 Stop J – Macquarie Street
A new stop, Stop J, will be created on the western (left) side of Macquarie Street immediately downstream of the existing Elizabeth Street / Macquarie Street junction. This stop will be utilised for all other services, including the high frequency, Eastern Shore Turn Up & GO services. Services using this route are summarised in Table 3.
Table 3 Proposed Stop J Bus Services
Existing Routes Total Number of Departing Services Stop Daily AM Peak PM Peak (7:30-9:30) (4:30-6:30)
Stop A 601, 614, 615, 616, 624, 96 13 15 625, 634, 635, 646
Stop B 606, 676 8 0 4
Stop C 654, 655, 664 19 1 5
Total All Routes 123 14 24 Stop J
2.1.3 Layover – Elizabeth Street Part of the existing layover area at Stop M will be retained. An additional layover area will be provided on the northern (eastbound) side of Elizabeth Street outside the Town Hall and immediately downstream of the Elizabeth Street / Macquarie Street junction.
2.1.4 Bus Stop – Lower Macquarie Street Due to route adjustments required for the relocation of Stops A, B, C and D to Stops M and J, outbound buses will no longer use Campbell Street and therefore the existing bus stop on Campbell Street, near Macquarie Street, will need to be relocated to Macquarie Street.
2.2 Traffic Management Measures
In order to facilitate the temporary arrangements, a number of traffic management measures have been proposed. These are summarised in the following sections.
2.2.1 Partial Road Closures
Elizabeth Street Bus Mall (Westbound) The westbound lane of Elizabeth Street, between Macquarie Street and Collins Street (the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall) will be closed to facilitate construction of the proposed hotel. The only vehicles permitted access to the construction zone will be those vehicles associated with construction activities as required.
Elizabeth Street (Franklin Square)
Elizabeth Street, between Davey Street and Macquarie Street, will be closed to through traffic through provision of the following traffic restrictions:
No right turn permitted from Davey Street into Elizabeth Street (buses, bicycles and local traffic excepted)
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No right turn permitted from Macquarie Street into Elizabeth Street (buses, bicycles and local traffic excepted)
All vehicles must turn left from Elizabeth Street (westbound) into Davey Street (buses, bicycles and local traffic excepted)
2.2.2 Parking Supply Changes The following parking supply changes will be required to facilitate the relocated bus stops described in Section 2.1:
Removal of motorcycle parking on Elizabeth Street, between Davey Street and Macquarie Street (approximately 38 spaces);
Removal of short term car parking spaces (1/4 P) on the western side of Macquarie Street, between Elizabeth Street and Argyle Street outside the GPO (8 spaces);
Peak period parking restrictions at short term car parking spaces (1P and P5) on the western side of Macquarie Street, between Argyle Street and Campbell Street (9 spaces);
Removal of parking to facilitate the relocated bus stop, and peak period parking restrictions at short term car parking spaces (2P), on the western side of Macquarie Street, between Campbell Street and Evans Street (6 spaces); and
Peak period parking restrictions at short term car parking spaces (2P) on the eastern side of Macquarie Street, between Campbell Street and Evans Street (7 spaces). It is assumed that the peak period parking restrictions will be operational between 7:30 and 9:00 am and between 4:30 and 6:00 pm. Note that no additional lanes will be created, but rather the impacts of parking friction on the adjacent lane capacity will be reduced.
2.2.3 Traffic Signal Arrangements
Elizabeth Street / Macquarie Street Left Turn on Red
Given that the left turn from Elizabeth Street into the Macquarie Street contra-flow lane is not opposed by any movements except pedestrian crossings, it may be appropriate to allow left turns on red (LTOR) or otherwise modify traffic signal phasing at this location in order to allow more effective green time for buses departing Elizabeth Street and travelling south. It is noted that the vast majority of vehicles undertaking this movement are ‘dead running’ buses (i.e. those buses not currently on an active bus route) accessing Franklin Square bus stops to begin a Southern Metro Service.
Potential options are discussed in Section 4.3 of this report.
Remove Pedestrian Crossing on Davey Street at Murray Street Junction (South Side)
It is proposed to remove the existing, signalised pedestrian crossing on the southern (departure side) leg of Davey Street at the Murray Street / Davey Street junction. The change is intended to improve performance for right turns out of Murray Street by removing the need to give way to pedestrians, thereby increasing the effective green time for that movement each cycle.
The existing, signalised pedestrian crossing on the northern (approach side) leg of Davey Street will be retained to facilitate pedestrian movement between the Hobart CBD and the Waterfront.
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Macquarie St Parking restrictions (clearway) Macquarie St Relocate bus stop
Macquarie St New Stop J to Eastern Shore 123 services per day
Elizabeth St Road closure (construction zone)
Elizabeth St / Macquarie St Elizabeth St LTOR or equivalent treatment Partial road closure Local traffic only (buses excepted)
Murray St / Macquarie St Potential traffic signal modifications Elizabeth St New Stop M to Eastern Shore 38 services per day
Murray St / Davey St Remove pedestrian crossing at signals
Figure 2 Proposed Stop Relocation and Mitigation Treatments Base image source: LISTMap, DPIPWE
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3. Traffic Modelling
3.1 Traffic Modelling Process The road network was modelled using the Hobart Mesoscopic Model (the Model) which was developed by GHD for the Department of State Growth in 2016/17. The modelling software package used for the Model was TSS Transport Simulation Systems Aimsun package, which provides strong route choice and traffic assignment algorithms due to its mesoscopic nature, and also allows for microsimulation level of analysis through the application of microsimulation ‘pockets’ to the model. For the purposes of assessing the impacts of this proposal, a microsimulation pocket was applied to the local area within the Model consisting of the area bounded by Davey Street, Collins Street, Harrington Street and Campbell Street. The extents of the pocket are presented in Figure 3.
Figure 3 Microsimulation Pocket Extents Base image source: LISTMap, DPIPWE
The Hobart Mesoscopic Model covers a much wider area ranging from Battery Point to Stoke Street and Rosny Hill Road to the Southern Outlet as presented in Figure 4.
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Figure 4 Hobart Mesoscopic Model Area
The scenario that was modelled includes:
Closure of Elizabeth Street Bus Mall westbound traffic lane;
Traffic restrictions turning into and out of Elizabeth Street, between Davey Street and Macquarie Street;
New bus stops (Stop M and Stop J) and revised bus routes; and
Other temporary lane closures including Murray Street (Myer development, 9am-3pm only), Campbell Street (RHH development) and Bathurst Street (Brooker Highway pedestrian bridge).
The following options were not modelled using the Hobart Mesoscopic Model and were instead investigated using other analytical methods, able to provide the required level of detail, in the relevant sections of this report:
Any proposed peak period parking restrictions;
Signal phasing changes at Macquarie Street / Elizabeth Street; and Removal of pedestrian crossing at Davey Street.
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3.2 Model Calibration and Validation
The Model and the associated microsimulation pocket were calibrated and validated in line with industry standards as detailed in the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) publication, Traffic Modelling Guidelines, Version 1.0, February 2013.
3.3 Traffic Modelling Results The results of the traffic modelling are presented in the following sections. These traffic modelling results are referred to and relied upon for the impact assessment of the proposals detailed in Section 4 of this report.
3.3.1 General Network Performance Overall network performance is reported using Vehicle Kilometres Travelled (VKT) and Vehicle Hours Travelled (VHT) statistics output from the model. These are a measure of the total distance and total time travelled for all vehicles within the modelled area. These statistics can be combined to give an average speed for all vehicles, which is considered a direct measure of network efficiency. The general network statistics are presented in Table 4 for both the base and proposed scenarios.
Table 4 Traffic Modelling Results – General Network Performance
Statistic AM Peak (7:30 – 9:30 AM) PM Peak (4:30 – 6:30 PM)
Base Proposal Change Base Proposal Change
All Vehicles
VKT (veh-km) 162,174 163,046 +0.5% 156,905 157,399 +0.3%
VHT (veh-h) 5,404 5,433 +0.5% 4,495 4,565 +1.5%
Average Speed 30.0 30.0 +0.0% 34.9 34.5 -1.2% (km/h)
Buses Only
BKT (bus-km) 875 874 -0.2% 813 802 -1.3%
BHT (bus-h) 43 43 +1.1% 37 36 -4.4%
Average Speed 20.2 20.4 +1.0% 21.8 22.5 +3.2% (km/h)
3.3.2 Travel Times (Key Cross-City Routes) Another key measure of traffic network performance involves the extraction of travel time data for key cross-city routes. There are a number of routes built into the Model, with the routes relevant to this project as shown in Figure 5.
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LEGEND Route 1 – Davey/Macquarie Route 2 – CBD Loop
Figure 5 Modelled Travel Time Routes Base image source: LISTMap, DPIPWE
The average travel times for those routes shown in Figure 1, as extracted from the Model, are presented in Table 5.
Table 5 Traffic Modelling Results – Travel Times (Key Cross-City Routes)
Route AM Peak (7:30 – 9:30 AM) PM Peak (4:30 – 6:30 PM)
Base Proposal Change Base Proposal Change
Route 1 9:27 9:41 +0:14 7:01 7:04 +0:03 Northbound Route 1 6:57 7:30 +0:33 7:21 7:20 +0:01 Southbound Route 2 2:36 2:36 +0:00 2:05 1:58 -0:07 Campbell St Route 2 2:23 2:23 +0:00 2:20 2:21 +0:01 Argyle St Route 2 3:21 4:04 +0:43 2:45 2:42 -0:03 Murray St Route 2 2:10 2:18 +0:08 1:38 1:43 +0:05 Harrington St
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4. Impacts Assessment
4.1 Closure of Elizabeth Street Bus Mall The closure of the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall in the westbound direction will require the relocation of the terminus for those services currently utilising Stops A, B, C and D. These stops are typically utilised by Eastern Shore outbound services which route via Collins Street, Campbell Street, Macquarie Street and Tasman Highway. Inbound services and other outbound services, including Northern Suburbs and Southern Services, should not be significantly impacted by the closure. It is proposed to relocate Eastern Shore bus services from Stops A, B, C and D, which are located within the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall, to Stops M and J. In particular, Stop J will be located on Macquarie Street, which is subject to high traffic flows during the morning and evening peak periods and moderate traffic flows throughout the remainder of the day. It is intended that Elizabeth Street, between Davey Street and Macquarie Street, be closed to general traffic such that Stop M will effectively be located within a ‘Bus Mall’ similar to the current conditions. The relocation of Eastern Shore bus services will result in changes to the outbound route for these services to utilise Macquarie Street only rather than Collins Street, Campbell Street and Macquarie Street as presented in Figure 6.
Eastern Shore Route (Existing)
Eastern Shore Route (Proposed)
Northern Suburbs Routes (To be retained)
Figure 6 Existing and Proposed Outbound Bus Routes Base image source: LISTMap, DPIPWE
It is noted that this scenario is similar in many key aspects to the “Bus Swap” scenario which was investigated by GHD for Hobart City Council in 20151, which identified significant travel time savings and travel time reliability improvements as a result of the changes, due to the ability for Eastern Shore buses to avoid travelling via Campbell Street.
1 Hobart Central Bus Interchange – Bus Swap, Traffic Assessment Report, GHD, April 2015
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4.1.1 Bus Stop Design Standards
The amount of kerb space required for practical bus stop operations is based on the design standards given in Table 6.
Table 6 Design Standards for Bus Zones
Bus Stop Dimension (m) Standard Long Rigid Articulated
Length of Bus 12.5 m 14.5 m 18.0 m
Minimum draw-out length 6.0 m 6.5 m 8.0 m
Minimum draw-in length 11.5 m 14.0 m 14.0 m
Bus Zone length for one bus 30.0 m 35.0 m 40.0 m
Source: State Transit Bus Infrastructure Guide issue 2, 2011
For multiple buses, the clear distance between parked buses must be equal to the minimum draw-in length as defined in Table 6 to allow for independent operation. Where buses are subject to “nose-to-tail” operation, a distance of 1.0 metres may be used. This is shown diagrammatically in Figure 7.
Figure 7 Bus Zone Design Standards Extract from State Transit Bus Stop Style Guide: Part 1 – Design Manual
4.1.2 Proposed Temporary Bus Stop M
Operational Capacity The practical capacity of different types of bus stop have been estimated as follows, noting that articulated buses (with a higher passenger carrying capacity) currently make up around 12% of Metro’s Hobart fleet:
Single bus stop – independent operation – Rigid 10 buses per hour – Articulated 7.5 buses per hour
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– Average 9.7 buses per hour ~ 19 buses per 2 hours Dual bus stop – “nose-to-tail” operation
– 2x Rigid 20 buses per hour – Rigid + Articulated 15 buses per hour – Average 18.9 buses per hour ~ 37 buses per 2 hours Triple bus stop – “nose-to-tail” operation – 3x Rigid 30 buses per hour – 2x Rigid + Articulated 22.5 buses per hour – Average 27.7 buses per hour ~ 55 buses per 2 hours Note that the above values are based on a loading time allowance of 3 minutes for a rigid bus and 5 minutes for an articulated bus with an average switchover time of 3 minutes between buses. These values are consistent with current operation, with the high utilisation stops currently catering for a maximum of around 8-10 bus departures per hour during the evening peak based on Metro timetabling information. From Table 2 of this report (see Section 2.1.1) Stop M will be required to cater for up to 18 departing services over the 2 hour evening peak period. It is therefore anticipated that a single bus stop, capable of being used by rigid and articulated buses, should have sufficient capacity to cater for the level of activity expected at Stop M.
Design Assessment
The Elizabeth Street block between Davey Street and Macquarie Street has a total kerb length of approximately 75 metres. This will allow for a single bus stop with independent operation (Stop M = 40 metres) to be provided along with a single layover suitable for independent use by rigid buses (Layover = 35 metres). The two stops are shown indicatively in Figure 8.
Stop M or Layover
Stop M or Layover
Figure 8 Stop M and Layover – Elizabeth Street Base image source: LISTMap, DPIPWE
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Note that it may be preferable to provide Stop M in front of the layover to allow Stop M to be located closer to the remainder of the Hobart Bus Interchange, to utilise the existing shelter, and to minimise the impacts of the gradient on Elizabeth Street (approximately 5% or 1:20). Additionally, this would result in the layover being closer to the amenities block at Franklin Square. It is noted, however, that it may be slightly more difficult for buses to pull out of Stop M and turn right onto Macquarie Street from the front location, due to potential queuing for left turns at the signals.
Review of Departure/Draw-Out Delays
Stop M will be located within the Elizabeth Street block, between Davey Street and Macquarie Street. It is intended that this section of Elizabeth Street will be closed to general traffic with local access, buses, taxis and bicycles excepted. The primary delays to buses drawing out of Stop M will be due to dead running buses using Elizabeth Street to access Southern Services stops on Macquarie Street adjacent to Franklin Square. It may be appropriate for Metro to implement an internal policy that dead running buses should be required to give-way to active services in order to minimise impacts on travel times for Eastern Shore services. It is anticipated, therefore, that draw-out delays for Stop M will be effectively nil and the majority of start delays for these services will be due to right turns out of Elizabeth Street onto Macquarie Street, noting that right turning buses are required to give way to all oncoming traffic, as well as pedestrians crossing Macquarie Street.
The average delays for buses turning right out of Elizabeth Street onto Macquarie Street are anticipated to be up to 72 seconds (LOS E) during the evening peak period (4:30 pm to 5:30 pm), under the proposed scenario, assuming that the existing signal phase times at this junction are maintained so as not to impact the performance of the Macquarie Street corridor. Detailed modelling of the Elizabeth Street / Macquarie Street junction is discussed in Section 4.3.2 of this report.
Review of Route Travel Times
Travel times for bus routes departing existing Stops A, B, C and D and the proposed Stop M have been extracted from the Model and are summarised in Table 7. Note that the values listed in Table 7 are outbound travel times between the departure point at the Hobart Bus Interchange and the Tasman Highway (near Liverpool Street).
Table 7 Stop M Route Travel Times (m:ss)
Scenario AM Peak PM Peak
Existing (Stops A, B, C and D 8:10 8:53 via Campbell Street)
Proposed (Stop M, via 7:10 7:17 Macquarie Street)
Change -1:00 -1:36
From Table 7, there are significant travel time savings experienced by Eastern Shore services departing Stop M compared to the existing situation (Stops A, B, C and D). This is primarily a result of buses no longer needing to use the busy section of Campbell Street, between Collins Street and Macquarie Street.
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Conflict Management
The location of Stop M introduces two potential conflicts as described below:
Lane changes on Elizabeth Street to turn right onto Macquarie Street Right turning traffic conflicting with opposing traffic exiting the Bus Mall
The above are shown diagrammatically in Figure 9.
Potential Conflict 2 Potential Conflict 1
Stop M
Figure 9 Stop M – Potential Conflicts Base image source: LISTMap, DPIPWE
The level of traffic utilising Elizabeth Street, between Davey Street and Macquarie Street, will be minimised as far as practicable by restricting access to buses, bicycles, taxis and local traffic only. With regard to turns at Elizabeth Street and Macquarie Street, while there will be a significant increase in the number of buses turning right at this junction, it is offset by a reduction in use by general traffic.
It is therefore considered that while there may be potential for additional conflicts related to use of Stop M, any increased risk of crashes can be significantly mitigated by traffic restrictions on Elizabeth Street, between Davey Street and Macquarie Street. A detailed risk assessment has been undertaken for the project and is provided in Section 5 of this report.
4.1.3 Proposed Temporary Bus Stop J
Operational Capacity
From Table 3 of this report (see Section 2.1.2) Stop J will be required to cater for up to 24 departing services over the 2 hour evening peak period. This exceeds the capacity of a single bus stop (approximately 19 buses per 2 hours) and it is therefore anticipated that a minimum of two stops will be required.
Design Assessment The available kerb space on Macquarie Street, between Elizabeth Street and Argyle Street, is approximately 50 metres. This is the extent of the existing on-street car parking and allows
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sufficient clearance to the Argyle Street stop line. A kerb length of 50 metres will allow for a dual bus-stop under “nose-to-tail” operation with capacity to accommodate a rigid and an articulated bus simultaneously. The bus stop is shown indicatively in Figure 10.
Stop J (“Nose-to-tail”)
Figure 10 Stop J – Macquarie Street Base image source: LISTMap, DPIPWE
The location of Stop J is complicated by a number of factors including the following:
Existing building entry ramp which limits the available footpath space at the front of the stop, where passenger loading would occur;
Existing canopy extends to the kerb-line and does not allow the minimum 600 mm clearance required to accommodate the body clearance of entering and exiting buses; and
Existing left turn lane into Argyle Street requires buses exiting Stop J to cross 2 lanes of traffic in order to continue along Macquarie Street. If Stop J is to be utilised, the following works will be required in order to mitigate the above issues:
Build footpath out by a minimum of 600 mm to provide adequate clearance for buses and to improve the available footpath width at the front of the stop; and
Reduce Macquarie Street adjacent to Stop J to 3 lanes with a short, left-turn lane commencing immediately following the front of Stop J.
The above treatments are shown indicatively in Figure 11.
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Short left-turn lane
Stop J
Widen footpath by 600 mm minimum
Remove 1 lane
Figure 11 Stop J Mitigation Treatments Base image source: LISTMap, DPIPWE
The impacts of the lane reduction were modelled using SIDRA Intersection 7.0 for the Argyle Street / Macquarie Street junction. The models were developed subject to the following key assumptions:
Base volumes were obtained from turning movement counts undertaken by GHD for the Department of State Growth in May/June 2016;
Signal phase times for the base models were obtained from SCATS data; The base models were calibrated to travel times for Macquarie Street determined using the Hobart Mesoscopic Model;
No changes to signal timing were assumed for the proposed models; and Additional buses were included in the proposed scenario to represent buses travelling to the Eastern Shore from Stops M and J. The results for each lane on the Macquarie Street approach are summarised in Table 8 including average delays, level of service (LOS) and 95th percentile queue length. It is noted that the Argyle Street approach will remain unaffected by the changes under the assumption that there would be no change in signal phasing.
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Table 8 Macquarie Street / Argyle Street Modelling (Lane Summaries)
Lane Performance AM Peak PM Peak
Base Proposed Base Proposed
Macquarie St Lane 1 10 s [A] 18 s [B] 10 s [A] 10 s [A] (Left Turn) 57 m 80 m 37 m 37 m
Macquarie St Lane 2 6 s [A] 14 s [B] 7 s [A] 10 s [A] (Through/Left) 70 m 80 m 100 m 108 m
Macquarie St Lane 3 6 s [A] 6 s [A] 7 s [A] 7 s [A] (Through) 70 m 86 m 100 m 110 m
Macquarie St Lane 4 6 s [A] 6 s [A] 7 s [A] 7 s [A] (Through) 70 m 86 m 100 m 110 m
From Table 8, the proposed conversion of the left turn lane to a short lane at the Argyle Street / Macquarie Street junction will result in reduced performance for Lane 1 and Lane 2, and some redistribution of traffic into Lane 3 and Lane 4, thereby increasing queuing and delays on all lanes. It is noted that the available queue storage on Macquarie Street, between Elizabeth Street and Argyle Street, is approximately 80 metres. Any queuing beyond this point will result in either blockage of the Elizabeth Street junction or residual queuing upstream. The probability of blockage in each lane is summarised in Table 9. This represents the chance that the available queuing storage will be exceeded during the relevant period, impacting on the upstream junction.
Table 9 Macquarie Street / Argyle Street – Probability of Blockage
Lane Performance AM Peak PM Peak
Base Proposed Base Proposed
Macquarie St Lane 1 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% (Left Turn)
Macquarie St Lane 2 0.0% 4.5% 25.1% 32.2% (Through/Left)
Macquarie St Lane 3 0.0% 11.8% 25.1% 33.3% (Through)
Macquarie St Lane 4 0.0% 11.8% 25.1% 33.3% (Through)
Notwithstanding, it is considered that there is sufficient capacity within the Macquarie Street / Argyle Street junction to accommodate the change, with only minor impacts on the upstream road network. The performance of the Elizabeth Street / Macquarie Street junction is assessed in detail in Section 4.2 of this report.
Review of Departure/Draw-Out Delays Stop J will be located on Macquarie Street, between Elizabeth Street and Argyle Street, which carries up to 2,470 vehicles per hour in the morning peak period and up to 2,360 vehicles per hour in the evening. SCATS data suggests the left-most lane of Macquarie Street (at Argyle
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Street) carries around 15% of all traffic on Macquarie Street, with 24% using the second-to-left lane. If the street modifications recommended above are implemented (see Figure 11) it is expected that there could be up to 1,000 vehicles per hour travelling in the left-hand lane between Elizabeth Street and Argyle Street.
The upstream signals at Elizabeth Street have around 75% of total cycle time allocated to the Macquarie Street through movement. This means that the effective traffic volume in the left- hand lane of Macquarie Street, downstream of the Elizabeth Street signals, is around 1,333 vehicles per hour, travelling in a large platoon. Assuming random arrivals during the green- wave, the probability of a gap of at least 5 seconds in the nearside lane is around 16% which equates to an average delay of around 10 seconds for pulling out.
During the red-phase on Macquarie Street, there would be significant residual queuing back from the Argyle Street junction. Traffic modelling suggests that the median queue length from the stop line is around 66 metres, therefore the front of Stop J will be blocked for the majority of the time during the peak period. It is unlikely that the gaps created by the operation of the Elizabeth Street / Macquarie Street traffic signals (and pedestrian crossings) will be realised at Stop J.
It is considered that buses departing from Stop J will be reliant on vehicles on Macquarie Street giving way and allowing them to enter the traffic stream, noting that vehicles have a legal obligation to give way to buses departing stops and attempting to enter the traffic stream. The York Street stop at the Launceston Bus Interchange was identified to have similar characteristics to the Macquarie Street stop being located and on an arterial, multi-lane road immediately downstream of a signalised junction.
The Launceston Bus Interchange was observed on several occasions prior to the preparation of this report. On the majority of occasions, buses simply waited for an appropriate gap in traffic, created by upstream traffic signals, before indicating and entering the traffic stream.
There were a few occasions where heavy traffic volumes and queuing required a bus to indicate and enter the traffic flow. In these cases, around 4 to 5 vehicles typically ignored the signal and passed the bus before one stopped to give way. It should be noted that even if only 10% of all drivers give way to buses, this would add only around 30 seconds to the total wait time (assuming a 3 second average headway between vehicles).
Review of Route Travel Times
Travel times for bus routes departing existing Stops A, B, C and D and the proposed Stop M have been extracted from the Model and are summarised in Table 10. Note that the values listed in Table 10 are outbound travel times between the departure point at the Hobart Bus Interchange and the Tasman Highway (near Liverpool Street).
Table 10 Stop J Route Travel Times (m:ss)
Scenario AM Peak PM Peak
Existing (Stops A, B, C and D via 8:10 8:53 Collins and Campbell Streets)
Proposed (Stop J via Macquarie 5:34 5:46 Street)
Change -2:36 -3:07
From Table 10, there are significant travel time savings experienced by Eastern Shore services departing Stop J compared to the existing situation (Stops A, B, C and D). This is primarily a
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result of buses no longer needing to use the busy section of Campbell Street, between Collins Street and Macquarie Street.
Conflict Management The primary conflict created by the addition of Stop J is associated with buses exiting the stop and entering the general traffic stream on Macquarie Street as shown in Figure 12. Given the high traffic flows on Macquarie Street (up to 2,470 vehicles per hour), there are a significant number of potential conflicts created as a result of Stop J.
Stop J
Potential Conflicts
Figure 12 Stop J – Potential Conflicts Base image source: LISTMap, DPIPWE
The removal of the left hand lane on Macquarie Street, and conversion to a short left-turn lane, will reduce the need for departing buses to cross two lanes of traffic. However, it is noted that vehicles would still be required to lane-change left to access the left-most lane across the path of departing buses. Notwithstanding, it is considered that the additional potential conflicts created by Stop J will not significantly increase the risk of an incident based on the following assessment:
There would be ample gaps created in the traffic stream due to the operation of the Elizabeth Street / Macquarie Street signals located immediately upstream of Stop J;
Vehicles have a legal obligation to give way to buses departing stops and attempting to enter the traffic stream;
There is ample sight distance upstream due to the straight nature of Macquarie Street; and
Bus activity on Macquarie Street would not be unexpected by motorists as there are a number of bus stops located at points along Macquarie Street upstream of Stop J including Metro drop-off points for southern services located between Murray Street and Elizabeth Street.
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It is noted that the conditions on Macquarie Street at Stop J are similar to those experienced at other bus stop locations along Macquarie Street which do not have a history of significant road safety issues associated with them.
4.1.4 Contra-Flow Bicycle Lane
It is proposed to allow two-way bicycle access within the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall during the works. This will require provision of a contra-flow bicycle lane travelling westbound from Macquarie Street to Collins Street. The design of a contra-flow facility will require consideration of clearance to turning buses at either end of the Bus Mall and at stops. The Austroads publication, Guide to Road Design – Part 3: Geometric Design, 2016, provides guidance on contra-flow bicycle lanes including the width of treatments, physical separation and signage and delineation.
In general, the following requirements apply to contra-flow bicycle lanes:
Minimum desirable width of 2.0 metres (absolute minimum width of 1.4 metres)
Physical separation typically not required for speed zones up to 50 km/h Delineation typically includes well-maintained pavement markings and raised reflective pavement markers
Audio-tactile lines or similar devices may be provided to warn motorists that they are encroaching into the bicycle lane. In the case of the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall, there is increased risk of collision between buses and cyclists given the large front overhang and the swept path of buses entering and exiting stops. It is therefore recommended that, if a contra-flow bicycle lane is provided, the following design standards are adopted:
Minimum width of 2.0 metres Minimum separation between the bicycle lane and the eastbound traffic lane of 1.0 metres (painted chevrons)
Clear and well-maintained pavement markings, including provision of bicycle stencils and directional arrows at each end of the Bus Mall and at regular intervals An indicative diagram showing the extent of the treatment, including a minimum width requirement for eastbound bus operation of 7.0 metres as specified in the Project Brief, is presented in Figure 13. It is noted that provision of a contra-flow bicycle treatment will significantly limit the width available for the construction zone and may not be feasible depending on the requirements for construction.
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Min 7.0 m clearance 1.0 m buffer
2.0 m contra-flow bicycle lane
Figure 13 Bicycle Contra-Flow Lane (Indicative)
4.1.5 Review of Other Services Other services, including Northern Suburbs and Southern Services, are not likely to be affected by the closure of the westbound portion of the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall on the following basis:
Southern Services depart from the Macquarie Street contra-flow lane, travelling southbound, and therefore avoid any potential issues related to Elizabeth Street or the junction of Elizabeth Street and Macquarie Street;
– Note that dead running services commencing at Stops N to P may experience slightly higher delays if required to give way to active services departing Stop M; Northern Suburbs services depart from Elizabeth Street and turn left onto Macquarie Street with priority over right turning traffic from Stop M and should not experience additional delays due to the proposal;
Inbound services from Northern Suburbs and Eastern Shore avoid Macquarie Street altogether, terminating at Collins Street, north of the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall.
4.2 Closure of Elizabeth Street It is proposed to close Elizabeth Street, between Davey Street and Macquarie Street, to general traffic, with buses, bicycles, taxis and authorised vehicles excepted. Authorised vehicles would include local traffic accessing Town Hall via Elizabeth Street as well as car parking at the Treasury Building (via the Macquarie Street contra-flow lane). General traffic currently using this section of Elizabeth Street includes the following:
Vehicles travelling to and from the Waterfront via Elizabeth Street; and
Vehicles performing “U-turn” manoeuvres on the Davey Street / Macquarie Street couplet. Given that there is no through access to/from the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall for general traffic, the amount of through traffic using Elizabeth Street, between Davey Street and Macquarie Street, is generally limited to the above.
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Alternative routes are available via parallel streets including Harrington Street and Argyle Street (for westbound traffic), and Murray Street and Campbell Street (for eastbound traffic). These routes are shown in Figure 14.
Figure 14 Elizabeth Street Closure – Alternative Routes Base image source: LISTMap, DPIPWE
The amount of traffic redirected from Elizabeth Street has been estimated based on Model outputs as summarised in Table 11.
Table 11 Turning Movements – Elizabeth Street (excludes buses)
Turns at Elizabeth Street / AM Peak AM Peak PM Peak PM Peak Macquarie Street junction 7:30 – 8:30 8:30 – 9:30 4:30 – 5:30 5:30 – 6:30
Base Model
Turns IN 54 vph 60 vph 47 vph 56 vph
Turns OUT 86 vph 103 vph 93 vph 84 vph
Total Existing Traffic 140 vph 163 vph 140 vph 140 vph
Proposed Model (local traffic only)
Turns IN 38 vph 28 vph 9 vph 4 vph
Turns OUT 28 vph 12 vph 55 vph 11 vph
Total Local Traffic 66 vph 40 vph 64 vph 15 vph
Total Redirected 74 vph 123 vph 76 vph 125 vph
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It is expected that up to around 125 vehicles per hour will require redirection during the peak periods. These vehicles will spread across the available alternative routes as shown in Figure 14 including Harrington Street, Murray Street, Argyle Street and Campbell Street. This traffic will have a minor impact on the operation of the external road network. From Table 5 of this report (see Section 3.3.2) the Model shows an additional 33 seconds delay for vehicles travelling on Davey Street in the morning peak period and an additional 14 seconds delay on Macquarie Street for the same period. Additionally, the Model shows a minor increase in delays on Murray Street and Harrington Street during the morning peak period.
The locations with the most significant change in delays are summarised in Table 12.
Table 12 Change in Delays (m:ss)
Period Street Location Change
AM Peak Macquarie Street Molle Street to Harrington Street +0:10
Davey Street Evans Street to Argyle Street +0:13
Davey Street Elizabeth Street to Harrington Street +0:06
Murray Street Bathurst Street to Davey Street +0:43
Harrington Street Davey Street to Macquarie Street +0:08
It is considered that the proposed redirected traffic from Elizabeth Street can generally be accommodated within the external road network. Murray Street will experience additional delays of up to 43 seconds total for travel between Bathurst Street and Macquarie Street. This is likely associated with vehicles travelling from Macquarie Street to the Waterfront during the morning peak period who can no longer utilise Elizabeth Street for this purpose.
The traffic model shows up to an additional 90 vehicles per hour using Murray Street, between Macquarie Street and Davey Street, during the peak periods. The additional traffic caused increased queuing on Murray Street which impacted on the performance of upstream junctions including Murray Street / Macquarie Street, Murray Street / Collins Street and Murray Street / Liverpool Street. The total increase in average delays on the Murray Street corridor was approximately 43 seconds.
The Model showed no significant change in network performance as a result of the Elizabeth Street closure in the evening peak period, with the additional delays primarily experienced in the morning peak.
Alternative Scenario for Elizabeth Street Closure
The impacts on Murray Street could be mitigated by applying traffic restrictions on Elizabeth Street in the westbound direction only. This would allow continued use of Elizabeth Street (eastbound) for general traffic while still reducing traffic on Elizabeth Street (westbound) to aid operation of Stop M.
Under this scenario, it is likely that:
There would be minimal delays on Macquarie Street between Molle Street and Harrington Street (previously +10 seconds)
There would be minimal delays on Murray Street between Bathurst Street and Davey Street (previously +43 seconds)
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Additional delays would continue to be experienced on Davey Street and Harrington Street due to redirected westbound traffic.
4.3 Bus Priority Measures
4.3.1 Peak Period Parking Restrictions It is proposed to provide peak period parking restrictions on Macquarie Street between Argyle Street and Campbell Street (left hand side) and between Campbell Street and Evans Street (right hand side). The impacts of the parking restrictions on traffic performance were not modelled in the Hobart Mesoscopic Model, however the impacts on overall capacity of intersections along the Macquarie Street corridor can be assessed using the concepts outlined below. Parking friction created by on-street car parking activity can have an impact on lane capacity at signalised intersections. This is due to occasional parking manoeuvres (including reverse parallel parking) blocking the nearside traffic lane and causing a shockwave in traffic travelling back from the parking space.
The impacts on capacity are primarily related to:
Parking turnover (e.g. 5 minute parking vs longer term parking) Overall parking space occupancy
Parking spaces that are considered to impact on the capacity of signalised junctions are typically limited to those within 80 metres of the stop line. For mid-block sections, if there is not sufficient clearance between parked vehicles and the edge of the near-side traffic lane, the presence of on-street parking can cause drivers to hug the outer edge of the lane, causing an effective reduction in lane widths across the full width of the road, thereby impacting on lane capacities.
The impacts of parking restrictions on the capacity of Macquarie Street are assessed qualitatively in the sections below.
Argyle Street to Campbell Street
There are a total of 9 car parking spaces located on the left-hand side of Macquarie Street, between Argyle Street and Campbell Street. These parking spaces are subject to time restrictions of either 5 minutes (5 spaces) or 1 hour (4 spaces). Only 1 of these spaces are within 80 metres of the Campbell Street stop line (5 minute parking).
It is considered that the proposed peak period parking restrictions would result in a minor improvement to the overall capacity of Macquarie Street, between Argyle Street and Campbell Street. It is noted that the capacity benefits may be offset by:
Any incidence of illegal parking activity on Macquarie Street; and
Additional turns into Market Place for redirected drop-off/pick-up activity previously serviced on Macquarie Street.
The capacity improvements would be at the expense of short-term car parking provision, including peak period drop-off and pick-up.
Campbell Street to Evans Street
There are a total of 6 car parking spaces located on the left-hand side of Macquarie Street, between Campbell Street and Evans Street. These parking spaces are subject to a time
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restriction of 2 hours and are all located within 80 metres of the stop line at the Macquarie Street / Evans Street junction.
Similarly, there are a total of 7 car parking spaces located on the right-hand side of Macquarie Street, between Campbell Street and Evans Street. These spaces are also subject to a time restriction of 2 hours however none of the 7 spaces are within 80 metres of the stop line. Similar to the Argyle Street to Campbell Street block, it is considered that the proposed peak period parking restrictions would result in only a minor improvement to the overall capacity of Macquarie Street, between Campbell Street and Evans Street at the expense of short term parking during the peak periods.
Summary
The proposed peak period parking restrictions will result in minor improvements to the overall capacity of Macquarie Street, between Argyle Street and Evans Street. These improvements are primarily related to:
Reduced incidence of parking manoeuvres causing traffic shockwaves in the nearside traffic lane
Improved effective lane width, resulting in greater lane capacities It is further noted that these capacity improvements are located on a primary outbound route from the Hobart CBD. Any reduction in queuing along Macquarie Street, north of Argyle Street, will result in less residual queuing impacting on upstream junction performance.
4.3.2 Elizabeth Street / Macquarie Street
It is proposed to modify traffic control or signal phasing at the intersection of Elizabeth Street and Macquarie Street to allow vehicles to turn left from Elizabeth Street into the Macquarie Street contra-flow lane during the Macquarie Street green phase. This movement is not opposed by any other vehicular movements, only pedestrian crossings, as shown in Figure 15.
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Macquarie Street Movements Pedestrian Movements
Pedestrian Movements
Left Turn into contra-flow lane
Figure 15 Elizabeth Street / Macquarie Street Junction Base image source: LISTMap, DPIPWE
There are two options for signal phasing at this junction to improve overall green time for left turns out of Elizabeth Street:
Retain existing two-phase arrangement and provide Left Turn on Red (LTOR) signage on Elizabeth Street approach; and
Formalise a three-phase arrangement by providing a left-turn phase and associated infrastructure. The above are discussed in the following sections.
Left Turn on Red (LTOR)
A LTOR treatment would not require modification of existing infrastructure at the junction, and instead could be implemented through the use of the LEFT TURN ON RED PERMITTED AFTER STOPPING (R2-20) sign mounted below the primary signal lantern on the Elizabeth Street approach. The Austroads publication, Guide to Traffic Management – Part 10: Traffic Control and Communication Devices, 2009, and Australian Standard AS1742.14, Manual of uniform traffic control devices – Part 14: Traffic signals, 2014, provide conditions on the use of LTOR treatments. There are a range of conditions on the provision of LTOR treatments including the following:
LTOR should only be considered for use on side roads at their junction with arterial roads, where pedestrian activity is generally light and side road volumes are light for the most of the day;
No left turn arrow facing traffic entering from the side street;
Only one lane on the approach from which left turning traffic is permitted to turn; and
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Adequate sight distances.
Following a review of the conditions and factors associated with LTOR, it is considered that LTOR is not an appropriate treatment at the Macquarie Street / Elizabeth Street junction based on the following:
Multiple lanes on Elizabeth Street; and High pedestrian volumes resulting in the potential for pedestrians crossing Elizabeth Street (in front of the turning vehicle) against pedestrian signals but parallel with the Macquarie Street phase. While improving traffic performance for vehicles turning left out of Elizabeth Street, it is considered that a LOTR treatment would result in significant safety concerns for pedestrians crossing both Macquarie Street and Elizabeth Street and is therefore not recommended for implementation.
Left-Turn Phase
A potential three-phase signal arrangement is demonstrated in Figure 16.
Figure 16 Three-Phase Arrangement This arrangement allows for pedestrians on the Elizabeth Street leg to fully clear during Phase A before the beginning of Phase A1, which allows left turns during the Macquarie Street green phase. Note that an intergreen period (amber and red time) will be required for the Elizabeth Street approach between Phase A and Phase B so as to ensure safety for pedestrians crossing the northbound Macquarie Street approach. This arrangement is considered to provide significant safety benefits over the LOTR option by providing additional separation between vehicle movements and opposing pedestrian crossing movements. The three-phase signal arrangement has been modelled using SIDRA Intersection 7.0 and average delays, level of service (LOS) and 95th percentile queue lengths for each scenario are presented in Table 13.
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Table 13 Elizabeth Street / Macquarie Street Junction Performance
Approach Lane AM Peak (8:30 – 9:30) PM Peak (4:30 – 5:30)
Existing Proposed Proposed Existing Proposed Proposed 2-Phase 2-Phase 2-Phase 2-Phase
Macquarie Street (NB) 10 s [A] - - 11 s [B] - - Left Turn 93 m 116 m
Through 5 s [A] 5 s [A] 4 s [A] 6 s [A] 5 s [A] 5 s [A] 93 m 92 m 88 m 116 m 109 m 109 m
Right Turn 9 s [A] 9 s [A] 9 s [A] 10 s [B] 10 s [A] 10 s [A] 91 m 91 m 88 m 114 m 109 m 109 m
Elizabeth Street (WB) 52 s [D] 55 s [E] 8 s [A] 59 s [E] 64 s [E] 7 s [A] Left Turn 14 m 8 m 2 m 26 m 16 m 3 m
Through 48 s [D] - - 54 s [D] - - 14 m 26 m
Right Turn 59 s [E] 59 s [E] 59 s [E] 67 s [E] 72 s [E] 72 s [E] 29 m 34 m 34 m 36 m 50 m 50 m
Elizabeth Street (EB) 63 s [E] 63 s [E] 63 s [E] 66 s [E] 70 s [E] 70 s [E] Left Turn 66 m 66 m 66 m 59 m 61 m 62 m
Through 58 s [E] 58 s [E] 58 s [E] 61 s [E] 65 s [E] 65 s [E] 66 m 66 m 66 m 59 m 61 m 62 m
Right Turn 63 s [E] 63 s [E] 63 s [E] 65 s [E] 70 s [E] 70 s [E] 66 m 66 m 66 m 59 m 61 m 62 m
All Vehicles 9 s [A] 9 s [A] 8 s [A] 10 s [B] 10 s [A] 10 s [A]
Based on the SIDRA Intersection modelling results provided in Table 13, it is considered that provision of a left-turn phase A1 as described in Figure 16 would have significant benefits for the Elizabeth Street approach by:
Reducing delays for buses and other vehicles turning left from Elizabeth Street into the Macquarie Street contra-flow lane; and
Reducing the level of queuing at the junction, thereby aiding buses leaving Stop M which need to cross the left-turn lane to turn right onto Macquarie Street. There would be a negligible impact on other movements at the junction. Note that this treatment could be provided independent of the temporary stop relocation (Stop M and Stop J) as there are overall benefits at the Elizabeth Street / Macquarie Street junction as a result of the additional left-turn phase which are not necessarily reliant on the relocated departure points.
If this treatment is installed, it is recommended that the introduction of the new phasing arrangement be carefully managed to ensure that both pedestrians and drivers are aware of the changed priority arrangements.
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4.3.3 Murray Street / Davey Street
It is proposed to remove the existing, signalised pedestrian crossing point located on the southern leg of Davey Street at the Murray Street junction. The proposed option is presented in Figure 17.
Right turn into Davey Street
Pedestrian crossing point to be removed
Figure 17 Murray Street / Davey Street Junction
Base image source: LISTMap, DPIPWE
The proposed removal of the pedestrian crossing is expected to result in significant reduction in delays for vehicles turning right from Murray Street into Davey Street as a result of improved effective green time since vehicles would no longer need to give way to pedestrians crossing Davey Street. The option has been modelled in SIDRA Intersection 7.0 for the existing conditions, and the proposed scenarios, and the results are presented in Table 14.
Table 14 Murray Street / Davey Street Junction Performance
Approach Lane AM Peak (8:30 – 9:30) PM Peak (4:30 – 5:30)
Existing Proposed Remove Existing Proposed Remove Scenario Crossing Scenario Crossing
Davey Street (SB) 16 s [B] 16 s [B] 16 s [B] 25 s [C] 26 s [C] 26 s [C] Left Turn 137 m 169 m 169 m 253 m 255 m 255 m
Through 11 s [B] 12 s [B] 12 s [B] 21 s [C] 21 s [C] 21 s [C] 144 m 177 m 177 m 260 m 262 m 262 m
Murray Street (EB) 45 s [D] 45 s [D] 45 s [D] 35 s [C] 35 s [D] 35 s [D] Through 87 m 91 m 91 m 58 m 64 m 64 m
Right Turn 52 s [D] 53 s [D] 49 s [D] 55 s [E] 66 s [E] 43 s [D] 72 m 83 m 79 m 117 m 144 m 107 m
All Vehicles 19 s [B] 20 s [C] 20 s [B] 28 s [C] 31 s [C] 26 s [C]
From Table 14, it is clear that the proposed scenario, which involves traffic restrictions at Elizabeth Street resulting in an additional 90 vehicles per hour using Murray Street (see Section 4.2 of this report), will increase delays for Murray Street at Davey Street and increase queue
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lengths. The SIDRA Intersection modelling suggests increased delays on Murray Street in the evening peak period (up to 11 seconds for right turns) as a result of the proposal and some increase in maximum queue lengths which may impact on upstream junctions. The removal of the pedestrian crossing on the southern leg of Davey Street would significantly improve performance for the right turn from Murray Street onto Davey Street with average delays reducing by around 4 seconds in the morning peak period and up to 23 seconds in the evening peak period. Queue lengths would also reduce significantly, resulting in upstream benefits to traffic operation on the Murray Street corridor. It is noted, however that the proposed removal of the pedestrian crossing would result in significant detriment to pedestrian access, and potential pedestrian safety issues, which are described in the following sections:
Pedestrian Access There are a number of key generators of pedestrian activity in the vicinity of the Davey Street / Murray Street junction including the following:
Hobart CBD (office and retail)
Hobart Bus Interchange at Elizabeth Street and Macquarie Street Major car parks:
– Centre-point car park – Salamanca and Montpelier Retreat car parks Salamanca Place and St David’s Park
Hobart Waterfront
Metro bus stop on Davey Street (south of Murray Street) Murray Street is a key pedestrian route between the Hobart CBD and areas east of Davey Street including the Hobart Waterfront (to the north of Murray Street) and the Salamanca Precinct (to the south of Murray Street). Extensive pedestrian surveys undertaken in March 2010 (Hobart Public Spaces and Public Life 2010, Gehl Architects) suggest around 6,000 pedestrians use Murray Street, between Davey Street and Macquarie Street, on a typical day with peak pedestrian volumes up to 1,300 pedestrians per hour. It is considered, therefore, that there is significant demand for pedestrian crossings at the intersection of Davey Street and Murray Street. In particular, the crossing on the southern leg of the intersection (Davey Street) is the closest point to Salamanca Place and is located on the shortest pedestrian route between Salamanca Place and a range of destinations in the City.
The removal of this crossing point will impact on pedestrian access between the Hobart CBD and pedestrian activity generators east of Davey Street. It is likely that many pedestrians will continue to try and cross at this location regardless of whether a formal pedestrian crossing signal is provided, due to the convenience of this crossing point compared to the opposite side of Murray Street.
Pedestrian Safety
The removal of the signalised pedestrian crossing on the southern leg of the Davey Street / Murray Street junction will have a negative impact on pedestrian safety due to the following:
Protection for pedestrians crossing Davey Street at this location will be reduced due to the removal of the formal crossing point; and
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Many pedestrians would continue to cross at this location either out of habit, or due to the convenience of this crossing point compared to the northern leg of Davey Street for accessing many destinations east of Davey Street. In addition to pedestrian crossings at the traffic signals, pedestrians often cross Davey Street mid-block between Murray Street and Harrington Street / Sandy Bay Road in gaps created by the upstream traffic signals. With the removal of the pedestrian crossing phase, there will be fewer gaps and less protection for pedestrians crossing mid-block, particularly during the peak periods. If the removal of the pedestrian crossing is implemented, it is recommended that some treatment be provided to prevent or actively discourage pedestrians crossing Davey Street on the southern side of Murray Street in order to improve pedestrian safety. It is noted that any prevention or discouragement of mid-block crossings would be difficult to implement.
Conclusion
It is considered that the removal of the pedestrian crossing on the southern leg of Davey Street, at the Murray Street junction, could have significant benefit to traffic operation on the Murray Street corridor, offsetting some of the negative impacts created by the closure of Elizabeth Street, between Macquarie Street and Davey Street. Notwithstanding the benefits to traffic operation, there would be a net negative impact on both pedestrian access between the Hobart CBD and the Waterfront / Salamanca Precincts as well as pedestrian safety. It is critical that pedestrian safety concerns are addressed prior to the implementation of this treatment.
It is further noted that increased delays on Murray Street are only likely to occur in the event that eastbound traffic is restricted at Elizabeth Street. If the traffic restrictions at Elizabeth Street are implemented in the westbound direction only, removal of the pedestrian crossing at Davey Street should not be required as a mitigation treatment.
4.4 Other Treatments
4.4.1 Proposed Layover – Elizabeth Street It is proposed to provide a new layover area on the northern side of Elizabeth Street, between Macquarie Street and Davey Street, immediately opposite Stop M and layover. The proposed layover will replace existing short-term (1/4P) car parking (5 spaces). The layover will be capable of accommodating up to 2 buses simultaneously and is located near amenities at Franklin Square. No significant impacts are anticipated due to the provision of the Elizabeth Street layover based on the following:
Right turns into Elizabeth Street are unopposed (except by pedestrian movements) and therefore buses turning to access the proposed layover should not impact significantly on the operation of Macquarie Street during peak periods;
Elizabeth Street has two lanes travelling in the eastbound direction such that vehicles can easily bypass buses parked in the proposed layover; and
Elizabeth Street will be restricted to buses, taxis, bicycles and local traffic only so that the impacts of buses pulling into and out of the layover will be minimised. It should be noted that, while there should be no major impacts on the operation of the road network, this layover location is not ideally placed to minimise circulation through the external road network, and buses departing the layover to begin a new route must circulate via Elizabeth
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Street, Morrison Street, Argyle Street and other roads in order to access departure points. This may have a minor impact on timetabling of services by increasing dead running times.
4.4.2 Proposed Relocated Bus Stop – Macquarie Street Due to the redirection of Eastern Shore services via Macquarie Street, rather than via Collins Street and Campbell Street, the existing bus stop located on Campbell Street near the Macquarie Street junction must be relocated to Macquarie Street, north of the Campbell Street junction. The proposed stop relocation is presented in Figure 18.
Relocate Bus Stop
Figure 18 Proposed Relocated Bus Stop – Macquarie Street Base image source: LISTMap, DPIPWE
The general impacts are as follows:
Increase walking distance for passengers by around 50 metres Minor impact on downstream capacity in left-lane on Macquarie Street at the Campbell Street junction due to limited lane width; and
Reduce parking supply on the western side of Macquarie Street, between Campbell Street and Evans Street. The proposal is not expected to result in significant detriment to either road safety or traffic efficiency on Macquarie Street.
5. Risk Assessment
5.1 Basis A risk assessment has been undertaken for the bus stop relocation proposal based on the likelihood of an incident occurring, and the most likely consequence according to the framework detailed in Table 16, Table 16 and Table 17.
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Table 15 Likelihood
Likelihood Description 5 – Almost certain Expected to occur in most circumstances. 4 – Likely Will probably occur in most circumstances. 3 – Possible It is conceivable that it may occur. 2 – Unlikely It is improbably that it may occur. 1 – Very unlikely Highly doubtful, but could occur in exceptional circumstances.
Table 16 Consequence
Consequence Safety Operations Public Concern A – Insignificant Incident requiring no Incident involving no Issue of no public/ first aid. delays or loss of political concern. service. B – Minor Incident requiring Incident resulting in Local press interest first aid only and no minor delays. and local medical treatment. public/political concern. C – Moderate A medical treatment Incident resulting in Limited damage to injury. moderate delays. reputation, regional public/ political concern. D – Major A significant injury, Incident resulting in Loss of credibility, requiring admission major or extended national press to hospital. delays. interest, significant public/ political concern. E – Catastrophic Fatality of permanent Complete traffic Full public enquiry, disability. network breakdown. major public/ political concern.
Table 17 Risk Matrix
Likelihood Consequence
A – B – Minor C – D – Major E – Insignificant Moderate Catastrophic
5 – Almost certain Low Moderate Significant Extreme Extreme
4 – Likely Low Low Moderate Significant Extreme
3 – Possible Negligible Low Moderate Significant Extreme
2 – Unlikely Negligible Negligible Low Moderate Significant
1 – Very unlikely Negligible Negligible Low Moderate Moderate
5.2 Risk Assessment
The risk assessment is presented in Table 18.
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Table 18 Potential Stop Relocation and Bus Priority Measures Risk Assessment
Location Hazard Risk Initial Risk Mitigation Treatment(s) Residual Rating Risk Rating C L R C L R Macquarie Bus Stop J Vehicle on Macquarie Street C 2 L NA Street colliding with bus entering / stopped / exiting Stop J resulting in injury, traffic delays Macquarie Bus Stop J Capacity of bus stop C 2 L NA Street exceeded resulting in build- up of buses wanting to utilise Stop J and/or additional bus circulation Macquarie Bus Stop J Bus delayed exiting bus stop B 3 L NA Street due to traffic flow on Macquarie Street Macquarie Canopy near Bus Bus drawing into/out of Stop C 5 S Build footpath out by a minimum of 600 C 1 L Street Stop J J collides with existing mm to provide adequate clearance and canopy at Macquarie Street reduce Macquarie Street to 3 lanes with a short, left-turn lane into Argyle Street Macquarie Footpath at Bus Stop Capacity of footpath storage B 4 L Build footpath out by a minimum of 600 B 2 N Street J exceeded, footpath blocked mm to provide additional footpath width for pedestrians walking along and reduce Macquarie Street to 3 lanes Macquarie Street with a short, left-turn lane into Argyle Street
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Location Hazard Risk Initial Risk Mitigation Treatment(s) Residual Rating Risk Rating C L R C L R Macquarie Macquarie Street Queuing exceeds available C 2 L NA Street reduced to 3 lanes storage resulting in delays between Elizabeth upstream at Elizabeth Street Street and Argyle and beyond Street Elizabeth Street Bus Stop M Vehicle on Elizabeth Street B 3 L Restrict general traffic access to Elizabeth B 2 N colliding with bus entering / Street between Davey Street and stopped / exiting Stop M Macquarie Street resulting in injury, traffic delays Elizabeth Street Bus Stop M Capacity of bus stop C 3 M Provide layover space on Elizabeth Street C 1 L exceeded resulting in build- adjacent to Stop M for overflow buses as up of buses wanting to utilise required Stop M and/or additional bus circulation Elizabeth Street Turn delays at Bus delayed turning right out C 3 M Restrict general traffic access to Elizabeth B 2 N / Macquarie intersection of Elizabeth Street due to Street between Davey Street and Street opposing traffic flow and low Macquarie Street effective green time Elizabeth Street Additional potential Collision due to right turning C 2 L Restrict general traffic access to Elizabeth C 1 L / Macquarie conflict at vehicle failing to give way to Street between Davey Street and Street intersections oncoming traffic Macquarie Street Macquarie New bus stop north Vehicle on Macquarie Street C 2 L NA Street of Campbell Street colliding with bus entering / stopped / exiting bus stop resulting in injury, traffic delays
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Location Hazard Risk Initial Risk Mitigation Treatment(s) Residual Rating Risk Rating C L R C L R Macquarie New bus stop north Bus stopping at new stop B 5 M Provide peak period parking restrictions A 5 L Street of Campbell Street delays general traffic in (effective clearway) on Macquarie Street Macquarie Street (left lane between Campbell Street and Evans only) Street to improve general traffic capacity in the left lane Elizabeth Street Contra-flow cycle Cyclist using contra-flow lane D 3 S Ensure any contra-flow lane has minimum D 2 M Bus Mall lane struck by bus entering/exiting width of 2.0 metres and minimum stops on Elizabeth Street separation to eastbound traffic lane of 1.0 metres Macquarie Dead runnings Dead running buses may A 3 N NA Street (Franklin accessing Bus Stops have higher delays Square) N, O, P accessing stops N, O and P due to operation of Stop M Murray Street Closure of Elizabeth Increased delays on Murray C 4 M Apply traffic restrictions on Elizabeth B 3 L Street increases Street corridor due to Street in westbound direction only traffic volumes on additional traffic diverted (maintain eastbound traffic flow) Murray Street from Macquarie Street (up to 90 vehicles per hour) Provide additional capacity on Murray D 3 S Street by removing the existing pedestrian crossing on the south leg of the Davey Street / Murray Street junction Davey Street / Pedestrians continue Vehicle strikes pedestrian D 3 S Murray Street to cross south leg of resulting in injury, traffic Davey Street delays following removal of formal pedestrian crossing
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6. Conclusions
This report has investigated a proposal to relocate the departure points for existing Eastern Shore bus services from the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall (Stops A, B, C and D) to Stop M in Elizabeth Street and a new Stop J in Macquarie Street. The relocation of stops is required to facilitate the closure of the westbound traffic lane within the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall which is required to allow construction of a new Hotel on Elizabeth Street. It is anticipated the Elizabeth Street closure will be required for a period of approximately 2 years from June 2017.
6.1 Bus Performance
6.1.1 Bus Travel Times
The proposed relocation of services from Stops A, B, C and D to Stops M and J will require redirection of existing Eastern Shore services to travel directly via Macquarie Street rather than via Collins Street and Campbell Street. Therefore, significant travel time savings are expected to result as summarised below:
Table 19 Eastern Shore Route Travel Times – to Tasman Highway (m:ss)
Scenario AM Peak PM Peak
Existing (Stops A, B, C and D) 8:10 8:53
Proposed (Stop M) 7:10 7:17
Change -1:00 -1:36
Proposed (Stop J) 5:34 5:46
Change -2:36 -3:07
6.1.2 Draw-out Delays It is unlikely that there will be significant delays for buses drawing out of Stops M and J based on the following:
Elizabeth Street, between Davey Street and Macquarie Street, will be closed to all traffic except buses, bicycles, taxis and local traffic (accessing car parking at Town Hall and Franklin Square).
Vehicles have a legal obligation to give way to buses departing stops and attempting to enter the traffic stream.
– It is noted that even if only 10% of drivers give way to buses, buses would only need to wait around 30 seconds for a drive to give way (assuming a 3 second average headway between vehicles). Average delays for right turns out of Elizabeth Street (Stop M) onto Macquarie Street will be up to around 72 seconds per vehicle. All vehicles will typically clear every cycle, so the potential for very long delays (greater than 2 minutes) is very low.
6.1.3 Bus Stop Capacity The following bus stop configuration is required to provide sufficient capacity in the short term:
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Stop M Single Stop (independent operation)
Stop J Dual Stop (“nose-to-tail” operation)
6.1.4 Passenger Impacts All stops will be located within close proximity to the existing Hobart Bus Interchange and therefore no significant increase in walking times or transfers are expected, however additional road crossings would be required to access Stop M from the Hobart CBD. It is noted that the existing footpath near Stop J is constrained by the entry ramp and stairs into the building adjacent to the stop. Furthermore, the existing canopy extends out to the kerb line and does not provide sufficient clearance for the entry/exit path of buses. It is a recommendation of this report that the existing footpath be built out by around 600 mm to allow sufficient clearance and to improve the footpath width. Macquarie Street, between Elizabeth Street and Argyle Street, will need to be reduced to 3 lanes (plus a short lane at Argyle Street) to facilitate the footpath widening.
Traffic modelling of the Argyle Street / Macquarie Street junction suggests this can be done with only a minor impact on performance of Macquarie Street.
6.2 Network Assessment
6.2.1 Overall
Traffic modelling of the Greater Hobart traffic network using the Hobart Mesoscopic Model suggests only a minor impact on overall network performance, with average speeds across the network varying by around 1.2% in the evening peak period and no change in the morning peak period. Examination of specific routes in the vicinity of the Hobart Bus Interchange suggests additional delays of around 33 seconds in the morning peak on Davey Street, 14 seconds in the morning peak on Macquarie Street, and up to 43 seconds on Murray Street in the morning peak period. The additional delays are considered to be a result of traffic redirected from Elizabeth Street via Murray Street, and additional circulation via Macquarie Street and Davey Street as required. A potential capacity improvement at the Davey Street / Murray Street intersection was identified in the removal of the pedestrian crossing on the south leg of the junction.
Alternative Elizabeth Street Closure
It is considered that restricting traffic on Elizabeth Street, between Davey Street and Macquarie Street in the westbound direction only, would result in no significant reduction in performance of Murray Street due to eastbound traffic on Elizabeth Street being maintained. The operation of Stop M would be unaffected as it is located on the southern (westbound) side of Elizabeth Street.
6.2.2 Elizabeth Street / Macquarie Street Junction A proposal to provide a Left Turn on Red (LTOR) treatment or similar at the Macquarie Street / Elizabeth Street junction was identified. It is considered that, while a LTOR treatment is likely to be inappropriate at this location due to high pedestrian volumes (as outlined in Australian Standards), there could be significant benefits gained by providing a dedicated left-turn phase from Elizabeth Street into the Macquarie Street contra-flow lane during the Macquarie Street green phase.
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6.2.3 Murray Street / Davey Street Junction
The Murray Street corridor is anticipated to experience increase delays during the peak periods due to redirected traffic from Elizabeth Street (eastbound) accessing the Hobart Waterfront, Salamanca Place and Davey Street. Note that this would only occur in the event traffic restrictions are applied in both directions on Elizabeth Street; the alternative option allows for traffic restrictions in the westbound direction only (adjacent to Stop M). In order to improve performance on Murray Street, an option to remove the pedestrian crossing on the south leg of the Davey Street was investigated. The results are as follows:
Improved performance for the Murray Street approach reducing delays by up to 4 seconds per vehicle in the morning peak period and up to 23 seconds in the evening peak period
Significantly reduced queuing along Murray Street in AM and PM peak periods Reduced pedestrian access between Hobart CBD and pedestrian activity generators east of Davey Street (including Salamanca Place and Hobart Waterfront)
Increased risk of vehicle-pedestrian collision due to removal of formal pedestrian crossing at this location It was noted that many pedestrians would continue to cross at this location, and along Davey Street mid-block between Murray Street and Harrington Street / Sandy Bay Road, out of habit or convenience, and that active discouragement of pedestrian crossings at this location would be required.
6.2.4 Impacts on Car Parking
The impacts on parking in the area are as follows:
Removal of motorcycle parking on Elizabeth Street
– Long-term 38 spaces Removal of short-term car parking on Macquarie Street – 1/4P 8 spaces Removal of Night/Saturday car parking on Macquarie Street
– Long-term ~3 spaces Removal of short-term car parking on Elizabeth Street
– 1/4P 5 spaces Additionally, the following parking spaces will be restricted during peak periods on Macquarie Street:
Left side of Macquarie Street between Argyle Street and Campbell Street
– 1P 4 spaces – P5 5 spaces Left side of Macquarie Street between Campbell Street and Evans Street
– 2P 6 spaces Right side of Macquarie Street between Campbell Street and Evans Street
– 2P 7 spaces The proposed peak period parking restrictions will result in minor improvements to the overall capacity of Macquarie Street, between Argyle Street and Evans Street. These improvements are primarily related to:
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Reduced incidence of parking manoeuvres causing traffic shockwaves in the nearside traffic lane
Improved effective lane width, resulting in greater lane capacities It is further noted that these capacity improvements are located on a primary outbound route from the Hobart CBD. Any reduction in queuing along Macquarie Street, north of Argyle Street, will result in less residual queuing impacting on upstream junction performance.
6.3 Summary of Recommendations
Based on the findings of this report, it is recommended that:
The departure points for Eastern Shore bus services be relocated from the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall Stops A, B, C and D to Stop M and Stop J as detailed in this report.
Stop M be designed as a single bus stop operating independently and Stop J be designed as a dual bus stop in “nose-to-tail” operation.
Metro implement a policy by which dead running buses should be required to give way to active buses attempting to draw out from stops and enter the traffic lane.
The footpath at Stop J be extended by a minimum of 600 mm to provide adequate clearance to the existing canopy and to allow for a widened footpath near the stop.
Macquarie Street be reduced to three (3) lanes between Elizabeth Street and Argyle Street, with a short, left-turn lane at Argyle Street commencing immediately following the front of Stop J.
If the contra-flow bicycle lane within the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall is to be implemented, it should have a minimum width of 2.0 metres and be located 1.0 metres clear of the eastbound traffic lane to provide sufficient clearance to entering and exiting buses. – Note that if the above dimensions cannot be provided given the extent of the work zone, the contra-flow bicycle lane treatment should not be included. An alternative option is considered in which Elizabeth Street is restricted to general traffic in the westbound direction only, maintaining eastbound access.
A dedicated left-turn phase be provided for vehicles turning left from Elizabeth Street into the Macquarie Street contra-flow lane, running along with the Macquarie Street green phase. – Note that a Left Turn on Red (LTOR) treatment is not recommended due to safety impacts given the high volumes of crossing pedestrians at this location (as specified in Australian Standards). That pedestrian safety concerns are addressed prior to the implementation of any pedestrian crossing removal at the Davey Street / Murray Street junction. Based on the findings of this report, and subject to the recommendations listed above, the proposed bus stop relocation is supported on traffic and safety grounds.
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