North Sydney Council Local Area Traffic Management & Action Plan LATM Zone 4 Cammeray T
Prepared by Bitzios Consulting 9/2/2018
LATM Action Plan Zone 4
Document Control Sheet
Report File Name Prepared by Reviewed by Issued by Date Issued to Michaela Kemp – P2945.001R North Sydney A. Piggott S. Brooke SP. Power 01/03/2017 North TAPAS Action Plan Zone 4 Sydney Council Michaela Kemp – P2945.002R North Sydney A. Piggott S. Brooke A. Piggott 13/04/2017 North TAPAS Action Plan Zone 4 Sydney Council North P2945.002R North Sydney M. Kemp A. Piggott M. Kemp 10/06/2017 Sydney TAPAS Action Plan Zone 4 Council North P2945.002R North Sydney M. Kemp A. Piggott M. Kemp 27/07/2017 Sydney TAPAS Action Plan Zone 4 Council P2945.002R North Sydney North TAPAS Action Plan Zone 4 M. Kemp A. Piggott M. Kemp 10/11/2017 Sydney Post Ex Council North P2945.002R North Sydney M. Kemp A. Piggott M. Kemp 09/02/2018 Sydney LATM Action Plan Zone 4 Final Council
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Contents 1. Introduction 5 1.1 Background 5 2. Link to Community Strategic Plan 8 2.1 Scope and Methodology 8 2.2 Study Objectives 8 2.2.1 2013‐2023 North Sydney Community Strategic Plan (2013) 8 2.2.2 North Sydney Integrated Traffic and Parking Strategy (2015) 9 2.2.3 North Sydney Integrated Cycling Strategy (2014) 9 2.2.4 Draft North Sydney Transport Strategy (2017) 11 2.2.5 Public Domain Style Manual and Design Codes (2016) 11 3. Zone Characteristics 12 3.1 Study Area 12 3.2 Land Uses 12 3.2.1 North Sydney Local Environmental Plan (2013) 12 3.2.2 North Sydney Development Control Plan (2013) 15 3.3 Road Network 16 3.3.1 Road Hierarchy 16 3.3.2 Traffic Volumes 18 3.3.3 Speed Data 18 3.3.4 Crash Data 19 3.4 Public Transport Network 22 3.4.1 Bus Routes and Bus Stops 22 3.5 Walking Network 23 3.6 Cycling Network 24 3.7 Parking Demands 25 3.8 Public Consultation Data 27 3.9 Key Developments / Traffic Generators 32 3.9.1 Travel Patterns (JTW) 32 3.9.2 Key Trip Generators 33 3.9.3 Development Traffic Overlay Analysis 36 3.9.4 Issues and Needs Summary 40 3.10 State Government Projects 40 4. Council’s Current Traffic Actions 41 4.1 Section Outline 41
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4.2 Summary of Council’s Traffic Actions 41 5. Detailed Data Analysis 42 5.1 Section Outline 42 5.2 Crash Data 42 5.3 Traffic Speed 42 5.4 Traffic Volumes 43 5.5 Public Consultation 44 Transport for NSW 44 Roads and Maritime Services 45 Cycling Strategy 45 Road Safety Education 45 Matters Referred to Other Council Departments 46 6. Additional Traffic Actions Identified by this Study 47 6.1 Section Outline 47 6.2 Development of Additional Traffic Actions 47 6.2.1 Site Observations 48 6.2.2 Existing LATM Devices 48 6.3 Summary of Additional Traffic Actions 49 7. Project Scoring – Traffic Actions 50 7.1 Existing Conditions (Problem Score) 50 7.2 Community Strategic Plan Criteria 50 7.3 Total Project Score 50 8. Parking Review 52 8.1 Section Outline 52 8.2 Parking Review Methodology 52 8.3 Key Findings 52 8.4 LATM Action ‐ Parking 53 9. Approvals Processes 55 9.1 Process Outline 55 10. Summary 56 10.1 Traffic Actions 56 10.2 Parking Review and Actions 56
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Tables Table 3.1: Traffic Volume Summary (2011-2016) Table 3.2: 85th Percentile Speed Analysis Table 3.3: Crash Severity Summary (2011-2015) Table 3.4: Issue Descriptors Table 3.5: Parking Rates Table 3.6: Traffic Generation Rates Table 4.1: Council’s Current List of Traffic Actions Table 5.1: Detailed Crash Trends – LATM Zone 4 Table 5.2: 85th Percentile Speed Exceeding Posted Speed Limit Table 5.3: Exceeding Desired Speed Limit Table 5.4: Traffic Volume Exceeding AADT Threshold Table 5.5: Public Consultation Trends Table 5.6: Summary of issues raised for attention of Transport for NSW Table 5.7: Summary of issues raised for attention of RMS Table 5.8:: Summary of issues raised for attention of other Council departments Table 6.1: Defined List of Traffic Issues and Locations for Detailed Investigation Table 6.2: Defined List of Parking Issues and Locations for Detailed Investigation Table 6.3: Locations Omitted from Solution Development Table 6.4: Existing LATM Devices Table 6.5: Summary of Additional Traffic Actions Table 8.1: Sample Parking Occupancy Survey Summary Table 8.2 LATM Parking Actions
Figures Figure 1.1: LATM Zones Overview Map Figure 1.2: Study Area – LATM Zone 4 Figure 2.1: Proposed Cycling Route Figure 2.2: North Sydney LGA – Precincts Figure 3.1: Study Area Figure 3.2: Land Use Zoning Figure 3.3: Heritage Items and Conservation Area Figure 3.4: DCP Planning Area Figure 3.5: Road Network and Hierarchy Figure 3.6: Crash Data Heat Map Figure 3.7: Crash Severity Map Figure 3.8: Bus Stops and Bus Routes in LATM Zone 4 Figure 3.9: Existing Cycle Routes Figure 3.10: Parking Demand by Residential Parking Area Figure 3. 11: Summary of Issues raised during Public Consultation – LATM Zone 4 Figure 3.12 Map of Traffic Issues from Public Consultation Data Figure 3.13 Map of Parking Issues from Public Consultation Data Figure 3.14: Journey to Work Assessment Area Figure 3.15: Journey to Work Travel Patterns – From Cammeray Figure 3.16: Transport Mode Share – Trips to LATM 4 Figure 3.17: Key Trip Generators Figure 3.18: Parking Rates with Residential Parking Demand Figure 3.19: Traffic Generation Rates with LEP Zones Figure 5.1: Road Classification Desired Maximum Traffic Volumes Figure 8.1: LATM Parking Principles Plan (Warrants)
Appendices Appendix A: High Level Analysis Maps Appendix B: Detailed Analysis Maps Appendix C: Action Plan Appendix D: Items referred to Transport for NSW Appendix E: Items referred to Roads and Maritime Services Appendix F: Items referred to other Council departments Appendix G: Items not addressed as part of this study Appendix H: Assessment Process and Scoring Methodology
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1. Introduction
1.1 Background The Integrated Traffic and Parking Strategy for the North Sydney Local Government Area (LGA) identified the need to develop Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) action plans. These plans provide specific measures to maintain and improve traffic and parking management. There are seven LATM zones within the North Sydney LGA, with three located on the west of the Warringah Freeway and four to the east, as seen in Figure 1.1.
Source: Adapted from Integrated Traffic and Parking Strategy (2015)
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Figure 1.1: LATM Zones Overview Map Bitzios Consulting was commissioned by North Sydney Council to undertake an analysis of the four LATM zones to the east of the Warringah Freeway, including the following suburbs: . Cammeray (majority); . Cremorne; . Cremorne Point; . Kirribilli; . Kurraba Point; . Neutral Bay; and . North Sydney (partly).
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This report focuses on LATM Zone 4, located in the northern section of the North Sydney LGA. LATM Zone 4 lies predominately within the suburb of Cammeray and is bounded loosely by: . the Warringah Freeway to the south-west; . Palmer Street and Hamilton Avenue to the west; . Flat Rock Creek, Tunks Park and Long Bay to the north; . Primrose Park, Creek Lane and Park Avenue to the east; and . Cammeray Golf Club in line with Grasmere Road to the south. The extent of LATM Zone 4 is shown in Figure 1.2.
Source: ECW Image provided by North Sydney Council Figure 1.2: Study Area – LATM Zone 4
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2. Link to Community Strategic Plan
2.1 Scope and Methodology This study has been divided into the following key components: . review of LATM Zone 4 context and assessment of current traffic and transport issues; . assessment of emerging issues and expected developments, modal shifts and changes in traffic and parking demands in LATM Zone 4; . summarising Council’s current list of traffic actions for LATM Zone 4; . identification of additional traffic actions for LATM Zone 4 drawn from detailed analysis of principal- supplied data and site inspections; . development of a prioritised list of actions for LATM Zone 4; and . review of key on-street parking areas for LATM Zone 4, and development of a priority list for detailed parking surveys. The study relies upon data provided by North Sydney Council in conjunction with site investigations. Where data has not been available, potential traffic issues and modal conflict issues have been identified based on site observations and public feedback submissions by residents.
2.2 Study Objectives
2.2.1 2013‐2023 North Sydney Community Strategic Plan (2013) The North Sydney Community Strategic Plan (CSP) was developed by Council in consultation with the community of North Sydney LGA. This plan was revised from the identified priorities and strategies in 2009 for North Sydney to cover a 10-year horizon from 2013 to 2023. The plan is a broad strategy for the whole North Sydney LGA and does not identify by individual wards. To provide a unified vision across the whole LGA, the plan identified five key directions: . Direction 1 – Our Living Environment; . Direction 2 – Our Built Environment; . Direction 3 – Our Economic Vitality; . Direction 4 – Our Social Vitality; and . Direction 5 – Our Civic Leadership. These key directions clearly categorise the community strategic goals for North Sydney by identifying the desired outcomes and the strategies to achieve these outcomes. The plan also identifies indicators, to measure the progress of the strategies. The relevant objectives from the CSP are: . 1.2 Quality urban greenspaces; . 2.1 Infrastructure, assets and facilities that meet community needs; . 2.3 Vibrant, connected and well maintained streetscapes and villages that build a sense of community; . 2.5 Sustainable transport is encouraged; . 2.6 Improved traffic management; . 2.7 Improved parking options and supply; . 4.7 Community is active and healthy; and . 4.9 Enhanced community safety and accessibility.
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2.2.2 North Sydney Integrated Traffic and Parking Strategy (2015) The North Sydney Integrated Traffic and Parking Strategy was developed to address the identified traffic and parking issues and to rationalise the parking and traffic controls created by a range of factors, such as: . increase in car usage by the existing population; . increase in the number of workers and visitors to the area; and . increase in residential and commercial development in and around the LGA. The Strategy proposed to manage traffic and parking matters within the LGA is based on seven (7) LATM Zones. No changes to the existing 33 resident parking areas are proposed under the adopted Strategy, however; parking restrictions within each of the (7) LATM Zones will be reviewed. It also introduces the concept of a scoring tool to assess the existing traffic and parking conditions. For traffic, cycling and pedestrian facilities the scoring considers a range of criteria including safety, traffic volumes, speed, pedestrian and cyclist volumes, activity generators, parking occupancy, parking turnover and alignment with the objectives of Council's Community Strategic Plan. For parking facilities, the methodology considers the existing parking supply, the surrounding land uses that generate parking demand, and occupancy and turnover rates, which are used to determine the most appropriate controls to apply to the existing parking supply to manage parking demand and reduce transfer of parking demand to surrounding streets within an area. The North Sydney Integrated Traffic and Parking Strategy was adopted by Council in May 2015.
2.2.3 North Sydney Integrated Cycling Strategy (2014) The North Sydney Integrated Cycling Strategy aims to provide a high quality built environment conducive to walking and cycling and to provide safe, accessible, and connected walking and cycling routes along key strategic links. The Strategy further aims to promote cycling as a sustainable transport option for North Sydney commuters. The strategy assessed the existing cycling network and identified the issues, and subsequently identified upgrades required to mitigate the issues in unison with the North Sydney Community Strategy Plan. Issues identified included: . incomplete cycling network connections; . some difficult sections (e.g. steep grades) within the defined cycling routes; . inconsistent and insufficient bicycle route signage; . insufficient bicycle parking facilities; and . the lack of safety associated with cyclists sharing road space with traffic. The Integrated Cycling Strategy outlines five routes aimed at increasing the safety and connectivity of cycling infrastructure within the North Sydney LGA. One key proposed route was identified within LATM Zone 7 to increase the safety and connectivity of the cycling network of North Sydney. Figure 2.1 shows the proposed cycling route (known as “Route 3”) connecting North Sydney and Milsons Point to Mosman. Route 3 enters LATM Zone 7 along Clark Road and continues along Broughton Street before utilising the underpass at Milsons Point Train Station to connect with the Harbour Bridge Cycleway or Alfred Street and to North Sydney. The strategy also included an implementation plan with cost estimates, timelines, and processes for stakeholder involvement in taking these routes forward. The North Sydney Integrated Cycling Strategy was adopted by Council in July 2014.
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Source: North Sydney Integrated Cycling Strategy, GTA (2014) Figure 2.1: Proposed Cycling Route
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2.2.4 Draft North Sydney Transport Strategy (2017) The Draft North Sydney Transport Strategy (NSTS) is proposed as Council’s guiding document for the delivery of its transport planning and management functions. This includes strategic transport planning, transport advocacy and the delivery of local transport projects.
The NSTS builds on the directions, outcomes and strategies detailed in North Sydney’s Community Strategic Plan 2013-23 (CSP) and Ecologically Sustainable Development Best Practice Project 2014 (ESD) to create an over-arching transport planning and management framework for the whole of Council. The Draft North Sydney Transport Strategy is scheduled for public exhibition in July 2017 and adoption by Council in late 2017.
2.2.5 Public Domain Style Manual and Design Codes (2016) The North Sydney Public Domain Style Manual and Design Codes were developed to outline the approaches to implement the public domain infrastructure improvements in North Sydney. The North Sydney LGA was divided into eight different precinct types, with each precinct having a style and design guide to allow consistency and unison across the whole LGA. The North Sydney LGA precincts are shown in Figure 2.2. The North Sydney Public Domain Style Manual and Design Codes were adopted by Council in November 2014 and amended in 2016.
Source: Public Domain Style Manual and Design Code (2016) Figure 2.2: North Sydney LGA – Precincts LATM Zone 4 is mostly “Local/Residential Areas” precinct and with areas of “Parks and Open Space” precinct and “Village Centre/Activity Centre” precinct.
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3. Zone Characteristics
3.1 Study Area As previously mentioned, LATM Zone 4 is located in the northern section of the North Sydney LGA, lying predominately within the suburb of Cammeray and is bounded by: . The Warringah Freeway to the south-west; . Palmer Street and Hamilton Avenue to the west; . Flat Rock Creek, Tunks Park and Long Bay to the north; . Primrose Park, Creek Lane and Park Avenue to the east; and . Cammeray Golf Club in line with Grasmere Road to the south. The extent of LATM Zone 4 is shown in Figure 3.1.
Source: ECW Image provided by North Sydney Council Figure 3.1: Study Area
3.2 Land Uses
3.2.1 North Sydney Local Environmental Plan (2013) The North Sydney Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 2013 aims to make local environmental planning provisions for land in North Sydney in accordance with the relevant standard environmental planning instrument under section 33A of the Act. It aims to promote development appropriate to its context and enhance the amenity of the North Sydney community and environment. Figure 3.2 shows the Land Use Zoning in the LATM Zone 4 area / Cammeray area.
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Source: North Sydney LEP (2013) Figure 3.2: Land Use Zoning
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The majority of the study area is defined as Low Density Residential with sections of Medium Density Residential west of Miller Street and a small section to the east near Alan Street. Pockets of High Density Residential properties are located near the Warringah Freeway, Miller Street and accesses off Carter Street and Cammeray Road towards to the south-east of the LATM Zone. There are also areas of Public Recreational, such as parks, Neighbourhood Centres, Environmental Conservation and Infrastructure such as religious and educational facilities. The LEP also defines the heritage items and conservation areas, as shown in Figure 3.3.
Source: North Sydney LEP (2013) Figure 3.3: Heritage Items and Conservation Area Two sections of conservation area exist, sharing a common boundary, in the central part of LATM Zone 4 and Cammeray. These zones are the Cammeray Conservation Area (Area CA01) and the Plateau Conservation Area (CA02). Several heritage items are also contained in the western and central section of LATM Zone 4 including: . Cammeray Public School; . a tree at the corner of Pine Street and Miller Street; . Long Gully Bridge; . bus stop shelters; . Cammeray Anglican Church; and . a range of other properties. The eastern part of the study area does not contain any conservation areas.
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3.2.2 North Sydney Development Control Plan (2013) The North Sydney Development Control Plan (DCP) 2013 aims to ensure that the development positively contributes to the quality of the natural and built environments as well as the quality of the site and its context. The DCP aims to ensure that the objectives of Council’s 2020 Vision – North Sydney Community Strategic Plan are achieved. The DCP consists of three parts: . Part A – General Requirements (The general requirement of information required prior to an application lodgement); . Part B – Development Controls (The development controls to be complied with prior to approval); and . Part C – Area Character Statement (Additional controls to be complied with for specific area). LATM Zone 4 is located entirely within Section 4: Cammeray Planning Area. The Cammeray Planning Area is divided into smaller localities based on the corresponding land use, such as commercial areas, town centres, residential areas and heritage conservation areas. The localities contained within LATM Zone 4 include: . Anzac Neighbourhood; . Cammeray Neighbourhood; . Palmer Neighbourhood; . Cammeray Village Centre; . Cammeray Conservation Area; and . Plateau Conservation Area. The Cammeray Planning Area and smaller localities are shown in Figure 3.4.
Source: North Sydney DCP (2013) Figure 3.4: DCP Planning Area
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3.3 Road Network
3.3.1 Road Hierarchy The Warringah Freeway borders the western side of the study area, with Miller Street/Strathallen Avenue providing the primary north-south road connection for Willoughby to North Sydney Amherst Street, Cammeray Road, and Carter Street are the main east-west roads in the study area. Armhest Street and Cammeray Road provide connections with Ernest Street and Military Road to the south of the study area. Topography limits the length of some local streets and limits permeation in the area as a number of local streets terminate in cul-de-sacs, rather than providing through traffic connections. Other local streets in the study area typically follow ridges and contours. Some steep grade and narrow streets are found in the study area, particularly on the northern and north-eastern fringes. Miller Street is a state road carrying substantial through and local traffic, connecting adjacent regions and connecting with local east-west roads. Amherst Street, Cammeray Road, parts of Palmer Street, Bellevue Street, Park Avenue and Grafton Street are classified as collector roads. An overview of the road hierarchy is shown in Figure 3.5, all following maps in this section can be found in Appendix A.
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Source: ESRI Maps Figure 3.5: Road Network and Hierarchy
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3.3.2 Traffic Volumes Historical “link” traffic counts were provided by North Sydney Council for the period between 1996 and 2016; although only counts from 2011 to 2016 were used in this study for relevance. The data presents 7-day annual average daily traffic (AADT) volumes, with location, direction, and date information. The locations of these counts are listed in Table 3.1. Table 3.1: Traffic Volume Summary (2011-2016)
Count Number Location Suburb Direction Year AADT 697 Abbott Street Cammeray Two-way 2013 2082 5 Alan Street Cammeray Two-way 2013 538 633 Arkland Street Cammeray Two-way 2011 488 602 Bellevue Street Cammeray Two-way 2011 3456 603 Bellevue Street Cammeray Two-way 2011 3495 69 Bellevue Street Cammeray Two-way 2013 197 782 Cambridge Street Cammeray Two-way 2013 232 752 Cammeray Road Cammeray Two-way 2013 6398 751 Cammeray Road Cammeray Two-way 2013 3753 771 Cammeray Road Cammeray One-way 2013 116 654 Carter Street Cammeray Two-way 2011 1803 728 Echo Street Cammeray Two-way 2013 1433 681 Hamilton Avenue Cammeray Two-way 2012 1044 705 Jenkins Street Cammeray Two-way 2013 5807 660 Lumsden Street Cammeray Two-way 2011 215 808 Palmer Street Cammeray Two-way 2013 3615 853 The Boulevarde Cammeray Two-way 2016 1015 717 Warringa Road Cammeray Two-way 2013 638 741 Warwick Avenue Cammeray Two-way 2013 472
3.3.3 Speed Data Local roads within LATM Zone 4 are posted at a speed limit of 50km/h. 40km/h school zones are in operation between 8:00AM-9:30AM and 2:30PM-4:00PM on school days on selected sections of the following roads, namely: . Miller Street; . Palmer Street; and . Bellevue Street. Speed data from 2011 to 2016 was analysed by calculating the “weighted average” of the hourly 85th percentile speed relative to the hourly traffic volumes. The results indicate in the majority of locations, the surveyed 85th percentile speeds are below the respective posted speed limit. The location and results of the speed surveys are summarised in Table 3.2.
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Table 3.2: 85th Percentile Speed Analysis
Posted Count Number Location Suburb Direction Year Speed 85th %ile Speed (km/h) Limit 697 Abbott Street Cammeray Two-way 2013 50 37.9 5 Alan Street Cammeray Two-way 2013 50 45.1 633 Arkland Street Cammeray Two-way 2011 50 48.6 602 Bellevue Street Cammeray Two-way 2011 50 46.8 603 Bellevue Street Cammeray Two-way 2011 50 47.2 69 Bellevue Street Cammeray Two-way 2013 50 33.6 782 Cambridge Street Cammeray Two-way 2013 50 35.2 752 Cammeray Road Cammeray Two-way 2013 50 57.1 751 Cammeray Road Cammeray Two-way 2013 50 49.2 771 Cammeray Road Cammeray One-way 2013 50 36.7 654 Carter Street Cammeray Two-way 2011 50 50.4 728 Echo Street Cammeray Two-way 2013 50 35.8 681 Hamilton Avenue Cammeray Two-way 2012 50 43.8 705 Jenkins Street Cammeray Two-way 2013 50 47.6 660 Lumsden Street Cammeray Two-way 2011 50 45.9 808 Palmer Street Cammeray Two-way 2013 50 46.1 853 The Boulevarde Cammeray Two-way 2016 50 43.3 717 Warringa Road Cammeray Two-way 2013 50 42.1 741 Warwick Avenue Cammeray Two-way 2013 50 39.3
3.3.4 Crash Data Crash data was summarised for a five-year period from 2011 to 2015. Figure 3.6 shows a ‘heat map’ distribution of crashes within LATM Zone 4 for this time period, with the Warringah Freeway omitted from the analysis. Clustering can be seen along Miller Street and connecting streets. The roads identified to experience the most crashes are: . Miller Street (state road), particularly at Amherst Street and Carter Street; . Cammeray Road; . Palmer Street; and . The Boulevarde. Figure 3.7 shows the severity of crashes within LATM Zone 4 by location, noting that the Warringah Freeway has been excluded from the analysis. The data shows that there were no fatal crashes recorded within LATM Zone 4 between 2011 and 2015. .
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High
Mid
Low
Source: ESRI Maps Figure 3.6: Crash Data Heat Map
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Source: ESRI Maps Figure 3.7: Crash Severity Map
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The crash data summary presented below in Table 3.3 shows: . a total of 76 crashes were reported within the five-year period (2011-2015), at an average rate of 15 crashes a year within LATM Zone 4; . around 30% of tow-away crashes occurred during wet road conditions; . out of all reported crashes, seven involved pedestrians. . 50% of the crashes were recorded along Miller Street; . 57% of the crashes reported involved casualties; . 23% of crashes occurred during PM commuter traffic (4pm-7pm); and . 34% of crashes occurred on the weekend. Table 3.3: Crash Severity Summary (2011-2015)
Severity Total Crashes Wet Condition Pedestrian Tow-away 33 30% 0 Injury 43 7% 7 Fatal 0 - 0 Total 76 - 7
The majority of recorded crashes occurred in and around intersections. Of the seven crashes involving pedestrians, four involved a right turning vehicle. Based on the crash data, key locations in LATM Zone 4 are the intersections of Abbott Street / Palmer Street (Council-controlled), Miller Street / Abbott Street (state-controlled), Miller Street / Palmer Street (state- controlled), and Miller Street / The Boulevarde (state-controlled). The intersection of Abbott Street / Palmer Street has eight recorded crashes between 2011 and 2015. Five of these crashes were recorded as ‘thru-thru’ crash types. Three of the ‘thru-thru’ crashes involved northbound and eastbound travelling vehicles. The intersection of Miller Street / Palmer Street has thirteen recorded crashes between 2011 and 2015. Seven out of the thirteen crashes occurred during turning movements, with the remaining being rear-end crashes. 50% of these crashes occurred during the weekend period. Two of the crashes involved a pedestrian. It is noted that this trend of crashes is further substantiated by public consultation feedback about requests for improved intersection safety. As a further note, a site inspection identified that tertiary signal lanterns have not been installed on the eastern and western intersection legs, and sight distances to oncoming vehicles for eastbound and westbound right turning vehicles (uncontrolled filter right turns) is very limited due to topography. The intersection of Miller Street / Abbott Street, and nearby approaches had six crashes between 2011 and 2015 with five of these crashes occurring at night. Two of the crashes involved a pedestrian. Several public feedback submissions also raise concern over intersection safety. The intersection of Miller Street / The Boulevarde and approaches recorded eight crashes between 2011 and 2015. Five of the crashes involved vehicles leaving the road on the curve on Miller Street. This location’s crashes correlate with public consultation feedback, raising concerns over traffic calming and intersection safety.
3.4 Public Transport Network
3.4.1 Bus Routes and Bus Stops Bus services run along Miller Street, Amherst Street, and Carter Street which cater for passengers from the north of Sydney, through LATM Zone 4, to the neighbouring LGAs and on to the CBD. Miller Street is a key route through this area with bus stops located at regular intervals. Eleven local bus routes operate through the study area. A map of the bus routes are shown in Figure 3.8.
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Source: ESRI Maps Figure 3.8: Bus Stops and Bus Routes in LATM Zone 4
3.5 Walking Network North Sydney Council has provided a walking network throughout LATM 4 which allows pedestrians to access various public transport facilities as well as historic sites. North Sydney Council is working to improve pedestrian accessibility and make North Sydney more ‘walkable’. The Community Strategic Plan identified needs for improvements for pedestrian safety and sustainable transport. Further, pedestrian and cycle paths produced some of the highest dissatisfaction ratings amongst services for residents based on public feedback. Any traffic and parking strategies proposed as part of this study will consider the impacts to pedestrians.
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3.6 Cycling Network A collaboration between Northern Sydney Councils produced a map of proposed or recommended cycling routes throughout the study area, North Sydney LGA and neighbouring LGAs of northern Sydney. An extract of the routes within the study area is shown in Figure 3.9.
Source: Northern Sydney Cycling Map (2012) Figure 3.9: Existing Cycle Routes A large majority of bike routes located in LATM Zone 4 are both marked and un-marked on-road routes, with a short section of off-road cycling facility through Cammeray Golf Course to the south. This is primarily due to road section and topographic constraints placing heavy reliance on on-road cycling facilities. Key on-road marked bicycle routes connect Palmer Street to Miller Street and Pine Street, to Carter Street, to Cammeray Road and joining the off-road facility through Cammeray Golf Course connecting to Ernest Street. Other routes are aligned westward from Strathallen Avenue, following the northern fringe around to Cammeray Road, re-joining the other route or diverting eastward towards Cremorne via Grafton Street. Some sections of the cycling route have been identified as steep/difficult grades for cyclists, particularly both northern and southern approaches to Carter Street, Palmer Street and Hamilton Lane west of West Street. Miller Street is not recommended as an on-road cycle route due to heavy traffic volumes reducing the safety and appeal of cycling (i.e. rider comfort). Alternate routes are provided to North Sydney and beyond.
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3.7 Parking Demands On-street parking within North Sydney Council is split into 33 residential parking areas located across the LGA. LATM Zone 4 comprises three areas as shown in Figure 3.10 and listed below: . Area 18; . Area 20; and . Area 25. The North Sydney Integrated Traffic and Parking Strategy designated each of the 33 residential parking areas into three categories, which are described as follows: . High Demand; . Medium Demand; and . Low Demand. The majority of LATM Zone 4 has a “Low Demand” category for parking in Areas 18 and 25. Only a portion of Area 20 is within the LATM 4 boundary, which is categorised as “High Demand”. Sites which generate trups and contribute to the demand for parking in LATM Zone 4 include local shops and restaurants along Miller Street, Cammeray Public School, North Leagues Club, bus stops servicing bus routes to and from the City, and residential properties. The supply of parking also correlates with traffic generation. Walking, cycling, and public transport require significantly less destination parking than driving. Applying appropriate parking controls to the finite parking supply discourages car-based trips whilst enabling adequate turnover of the existing parking spaces so that those who do need to drive can actually find a parking space when they arrive. North Sydney Council implements a number of parking restrictions including timed parking throughout the area in order to manage the parking.
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Source: ESRI Maps Figure 3.10: Parking Demand by Residential Parking Area
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3.8 Public Consultation Data An extensive public consultation engagement was undertaken by Council in 2016 to inform transport, traffic, and parking projects. The consultation methods included surveys, drop‐in sessions and workshops and culminated in a comprehensive dataset of issues and suggested improvements pertaining to transport, traffic, and parking. The consultation data was analysed to establish key traffic and parking issues/suggestions for LATM Zone 4 as raised by the public.
For LATM Zone 4, Council received 595 submissions from 383 respondents. Of those submissions there were 758 specific traffic and transport related issues raised. Of those issues 36% were related to parking, 32% were related to traffic generally, 10% were related to cycling, 9% were related to walking, and 9% were related to buses. The remaining 4% of issues were related to public transport, specific developments and events.
Figure 3. 11: Summary of Issues raised during Public Consultation – LATM Zone 4 While the dataset was filtered by consultants, KJA using predefined themes, the data required further processing to identify key trends in issues and suggestions for further investigation. A broad set of issue descriptors was defined and assigned to each data entry to narrow-down the data and establish focus areas. The descriptors are detailed in Table 3.4.
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Table 3.4: Issue Descriptors
Issue Example Traffic ‐ Indent Bus Bay Indent bus bay to allow traffic to pass and relieve congestion Traffic ‐ Intersection Safety and/or Intersection safety concerns (i.e. traffic request for right turn Performance arrow, insufficient sight distance, poor geometry, etc.) or capacity concerns (i.e. traffic congestion on a particular intersection approach) Traffic ‐ Traffic Calming Resident's are concerned about rat running, or suggesting a lower speed limit be adopted Traffic ‐ Increase Speed Limits Suggestion to increase speed limit Traffic ‐ Decrease Speed Limits Suggestion to decrease speed limit Traffic ‐ Don't change Request for a specific change not to be made Parking ‐ Create New Supply Suggestion to create new car parking supply (i.e. on a vacant lot) Parking ‐ Concerns Related to DA Residents' concerns about sufficient off‐street car parking for new development Parking ‐ Parking Restrictions Parking restrictions are either: non‐existent, too short or too Insufficient long; OR request for parking meter Parking ‐ Parking Causes Narrow On‐street car parking creates narrow travel lanes Travel Lanes Parking ‐ Parking Access for Residents' concerns about accessing their own car parking Residents Parking ‐ Parking Configuration On‐street car parking configuration is suggested to be revised (i.e. to make safer, etc.) Parking ‐ Cost of Parking too high Suggestion that cost of parking is too high Parking – Line mark Bays Suggestion to line mark parking bays Parking ‐ Too much enforcement Residents are concerned that parking is too heavily enforced Parking ‐ Too little enforcement Residents are concerned that parking is not enforced enough Parking ‐ Disabled Parking Suggestion to increase or decrease provision of disabled parking spaces Parking ‐ Permits ‐ Residential Suggestion to review resident parking permit provisions Parking ‐ Permits ‐ Disabled Suggestion to review disabled parking permit provisions Parking Pedestrian ‐ Safety Concerns related to pedestrian safety (i.e. pedestrians v vehicles at traffic lights, sight distance to marked pedestrian crossing inadequate, etc.) Pedestrian ‐ Connectivity Suggestion for new connection, or improvements / maintenance to an existing connection (this includes at traffic lights) Pedestrians ‐ Footpath Provisions Lack of sufficient footpaths or footpath widths Pedestrians ‐ Footpath Surface Poor footpath surface conditions, footpath restorations Conditions Pedestrians ‐ Walking Amenity Factors which affect the amenity of walking eg. shade, terrain, obstacles Pedestrians ‐ Street lighting Poor street lighting conditions Pedestrians ‐ Shared Zones Suggestions for new or changes to existing Shared Zones Cycling ‐Safety Concerns related to cyclist safety (i.e. cyclist v vehicles at traffic lights, parked cars v cyclist, narrow streets, etc.) Cycling ‐ Connectivity Suggestion for new connection, or improvements / maintenance to an existing connection (this includes at traffic lights) Cycling ‐ No support for new Resident does not support cycling facilities in their area generally facilities
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Issue Example Cycling ‐ End of trip facilities Suggestion for end of trip facilities for cyclists (ie bike parking, showers, lockers, change rooms etc.) School Zone Congestion Traffic or parking congestion caused by a school (i.e. during pick‐ up/drop‐off times) Public Transport ‐ Timetables Not enough services, services not frequent enough Public Transport ‐ Cost Cost of Public Transport is too high Public Transport ‐ Stop/ Station / Suggestion to increase number or change location of bus stops, Wharf locations ferry wharves, train stations Public Transport ‐ Infrastructure Suggestion for improved public transport infrastructure eg. bus shelter, seat etc. Public Transport ‐ Passenger Passenger congestion on existing services Congestion Public Transport ‐ Connections Connections between modes of public transport ‐ suggestions for improvements Public Transport ‐ Accessibility Access to public transport for mobility impaired passengers and prams Public Transport ‐ Routes Suggestions for additional routes or changes to existing routes Shuttle Bus Services Request for a Shuttle Bus Service Road Surface Damage Poor road surface condition, pot holes, road restorations Roadworks General interruptions caused by roadworks ‐ Council works, third parties & private development. Events ‐ Road Closures, Markets General interruptions caused by events ‐ traffic diversions, parking issues, congestion Positive Feedback Positive feedback about the situation ‐ no changes requested Vehicle‐related Pollution Noise pollution, exhaust Other Can't be defined
The descriptors in Table 3.4 were assigned to each relevant data entry along with the location. Figure 3.12 and Figure 3.13 show the location of traffic and parking issues gathered from public consultation data.
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Source: ESRI Maps Figure 3.12 Map of Traffic Issues from Public Consultation Data
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Source: ESRI Maps Figure 3.13 Map of Parking Issues from Public Consultation Data
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3.9 Key Developments / Traffic Generators
3.9.1 Travel Patterns (JTW) The Cammeray Journey to Work (JTW) travel patterns were assessed to evaluate mode share and travel trends for LATM Zone 4. The JTW data is split into individual travel zones which can be selected to evaluate travel trends in a specific area. The area of assessment is shown in Figure 3.14. It must be noted this data represents trips which originate and end in Cammeray and does not consider trips which pass through Cammeray.
Source: BTS JTW Explorer Interactive Map Figure 3.14: Journey to Work Assessment Area The travel patterns for residents in Cammeray taken from the year 2011 “Journey to Work” (JTW) data (published by the Bureau of Transport Statistics and ABS) shows: . 2,950 workers lived in Cammeray, with 1,450 travelling to Cammeray for work; . the majority (35%) of JTW trips have a destination in the CBD; . 29% of JTW trips remain within the North Sydney-Mosman area; . 13% of JTW trips are towards the Chatswood-Lane Cove area; and . the majority (45%) of workers within Cammeray travel from North Sydney/ Mosman with a further 12% workers travelling from Chatswood/Lane Cove. More than half of trips (54%) from the study area are made by cars (as vehicle driver or vehicle passengers), see Figure 3.15. Bus travel is the next highest mode share with 28%, followed by walking at 9% and train travel with 5% of the mode share. Less than 4% of trips were made by bicycle.
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Data Source: BTS JTW Explorer Interactive Map Figure 3.15: Journey to Work Travel Patterns – From Cammeray Figure 3.16 shows the overall transportation mode shares for residents of Cammeray (for all types of trips). Car usage is the most prevalent travel type with 67%, including vehicle passengers, with 12% of workers walking to work and 19% taking public transport.
Data Source: BTS JTW Explorer Interactive Map Figure 3.16: Transport Mode Share – Trips to LATM 4
3.9.2 Key Trip Generators North Sydney Council defined key trip generators in four categories for the purpose of this study. The categories and the included features are: . Category 1 – Education; - Primary School; - High School; and - University/Tertiary Education. . Category 2 – Health and Care; - Retirement Village; - Aged Care Facility; and - Hospital. . Category 3 – Parks; - Major Parks; and - Minor Parks.
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. Category 4 – Shopping; - Major Shopping; and - Minor Shopping. Key pedestrian trip generators are located adjacent to Miller Street, with commercial centres, car parking, high residential developments, and a school. There are also two parks towards the eastern section of the study area and one major shopping precinct. Important trip generators are shown in Figure 3.17.
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Source: ESRI Maps Figure 3.17: Key Trip Generators
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3.9.3 Development Traffic Overlay Analysis A review of known developments either under consideration or approved between 2001 and January 2017 was undertaken. It should be noted that subsequent developments have not been considered as part of this review, however impact assessments are undertaken for individual DAs during the development application stage. A total of 45 development proposals have been approved for LATM Zone 4, comprising the following land uses: . Dwelling House; . Multi-Dwelling House; and . Residential Flat Buildings. A total of 342 new dwellings have been approved in LATM Zone 4 with a maximum of 46 dwellings approved in a single location at 450-476 Miller Street and 11 Amherst Street, Cammeray. Table 3.6 shows the estimated parking and traffic generation per development type as per North Sydney’s Development Control Plan (DCP) (2013) and the RMS Guide to Traffic Generating Developments (2002). It is important to note that detailed analysis and modelling was not possible as the respective Traffic Impact Assessments for each development were not made available by Council; however, this analysis is expected to have been completed as part of the Development Application process. Table 3.5: Parking Rates
Maximum Parking Rate Development Type Zone Location (Spaces per dwelling) Studio, 1 Bedroom 0.5 Residential Flat All - except in St Leonards B4 - Mixed Use Buildings Precincts 2 and 3 2 or more bedrooms 1
All 1-2 Bedrooms 1 Dwelling Houses All 3 or more Bedrooms 2 Studio, 1-2 Bedrooms 1 Multi-Dwelling House All All 3 or more Bedrooms 1.5 Source: North Sydney’s Development Control Plan (2013) Table 3.6: Traffic Generation Rates
Residential Type Traffic Generation Rate (Trips per peak hour) Low Density Residential 0.95 Medium Density Residential 0.5 High Density Residential 0.29 Source: RMS Guide to Traffic Generating Developments (2002) Using these parking rates and traffic generation rates, the parking and traffic demand estimated for each development is shown in Figure 3.18 and Figure 3.19.
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Source: ESRI Maps Figure 3.18: Parking Rates with Residential Parking Demand
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Within LATM Zone 4 only a single cluster of developments can be found along Miller Street between Palmer Street and Amherst Street, with the highest parking rate between 41-50 spaces required for a single development. It is expected that these parking facilities will be provided within the development for residents and that any overspill will be accommodated with local on street parking, which should be readily available due to the “Low Demand” area in which the developments are located. The remaining developments are not expected to result in any substantial impact on parking demand due to their low-scale and dispersed nature, as seen in Figure 3.18.
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Source: ESRI Maps Figure 3.19: Traffic Generation Rates with LEP Zones
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The traffic generation from the cluster of developments along Miller Street between Palmer Street and Amherst Street have an estimated maximum traffic generation in the order of 21-30 trips per peak hour. The developments connect to Miller Street, which is classified as a “State Road”, and serves as a through traffic carrying function for the area. The remaining developments are anticipated to have minimum impact on the local road network as it is expected that the developments will either be replacing existing dwellings of similar size or, as seen in Figure 3.19, are only small traffic generators and are unlikely to have an adverse effect on the capacity of the surrounding local roads.
3.9.4 Issues and Needs Summary The proposed developments reviewed in this study are not expected to have a substantial impact on the local traffic management schemes.
3.10 State Government Projects There are no major New South Wales Government projects within LATM Zone 4. Crows Nest, located within LATM Zone 2, has a planned new station as part of the Sydney Metro project, and is approximately 1km from Miller Street in LATM Zone 4. It is likely that there will be new bus service which will connect to the Crows Nest Metro Station; however, no detailed information is available at the time of writing this report.
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4. Council’s Current Traffic Actions
4.1 Section Outline This section identifies and summarises details of Council’s current list of traffic actions for LATM Zone 4.
4.2 Summary of Council’s Traffic Actions In past years, Council has maintained a list of traffic facilities projects awaiting further approval and/or funding. As these projects have previously been identified through community engagement or Council resolutions it is appropriate that they are considered and incorporated into the LATM Action Plans where they are still relevant. Table 4.1 summarises the details of Council’s current list of traffic actions for LATM Zone 7. Each action has been assigned a unique identification for ease of reference and will be subject to Council’s scoring system detailed in Section 7. Table 4.1: Council’s Current List of Traffic Actions
Location ID Action Details Abbott Street, at Miller Street 4.01 Raised pedestrian crossing Abbott Street, north of Palmer Street 4.02 Pedestrian crossing Alan Street, Stratford Street to Cammeray Road 4.03 Traffic calming Amherst Street, at West Street 4.04 Roundabout modifications to improve road safety Amherst Street, Miller Street to West Street 4.05 Traffic calming Bellevue Street between Raleigh and Lumsden 4.06 Pedestrian refuge upgrade Streets Bellevue Street, at Lumsden Street 4.07 Pedestrian crossing Bellevue Street, between Palmer and Amherst 4.08 Pedestrian facilities Streets Bellevue Street, just north of Amherst Street 4.09 Speed hump after roundabout to slow vehicles. Brothers Avenue, near Tunks Park 4.10 Traffic calming, particularly to slow bicycles Cammeray Road, between Warringa Road Park 4.11 Traffic calming Avenue Cammeray Road, entire length 4.12 Traffic calming Cammeray Road, through travel lane adjacent to 4.13 Traffic calming Green Park Cammeray Road, west of Park Avenue 4.14 Chicane or reinstall "higher" speed humps Kerb blister next to driveway to prevent cars Carter Street, adjacent to 27 Carter Street 4.15 parking Carter Street, Cammeray 4.16 Speed hump/s Grafton Street, at Cammeray Road 4.17 Hazardous left turn Miller Street, at Cammeraygal Place 4.18 Pedestrian fence/ chicane at the traffic signals Palmer Street, entire length 4.19 Traffic calming Palmer Street, at Abbott Lane 4.20 Kerb blisters to increase sight distance Palmer Street, at Abbott Street and Hamilton Avenue 4.21 Pedestrian refuges Palmer Street, at School 4.22 Pedestrian fence Vale Street at Miller Street 4.23 Kerb extensions Vale Street, at Abbott Street 4.24 Median island stop treatment (MIST) West Street, near Amherst Street 4.25 Traffic calming
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5. Detailed Data Analysis
5.1 Section Outline Section 3 broadly summarised the crash data, traffic speed data, traffic volume data and public feedback data for LATM Zone 4. This section analyses these four key datasets in finer detail to narrow-down focus areas and associated traffic and parking issues within LATM Zone 4 that have not already been identified by Council. The detailed analysis culminates in a list of defined issues by location to be investigated and diagnosed at a fundamental level such that fit for purpose remedial solutions can be developed and scored. The proposed solutions are intended to supplement Council’s current list of actions.
5.2 Crash Data Crash data is based on the reported crashes and details characteristics about the crash type, location, speed, severity and a range of factors which can cause crashes including weather, time of day, time of year and influence of alcohol. As previously identified in Section 3, key crash locations in LATM Zone 4 are the intersections of Abbott Street / Palmer Street (Council-controlled), Miller Street / Abbott Street (state-controlled), Miller Street / Palmer Street (state-controlled), and Miller Street / The Boulevarde (state-controlled). Detailed assessment of the crash data for the key intersections has been undertaken to identify key trends. Crash clusters were categorised based on crash type at each location to identify trends, namely by recurrence of same crash types. Where a majority or relatively significant quantity of crashes (i.e. more than three of the same crash types over the five-year period) are recorded at one location and are similar in nature (i.e. same DCA code, or DCA code series) it can highlight a deficiency in road design, intersection operation or local area traffic management (LATM). By identifying any specific trends and understanding possible contributing factors, a solution to treat the specific crash types can be devised. It is important to note that the state- controlled intersections will not be investigated in detail to devise a solution or scored. Instead, these intersections will be identified as an interface for discussions with Roads and Maritime Services (RMS). The key crash trends for LATM Zone 4 are summarised in Table 5.1. Table 5.1: Detailed Crash Trends – LATM Zone 4
Location Crash Type Frequency Vehicle Travel Direction Abbott Street / Palmer Street DCA Code 101 (thru-thru) 3 North (vehicle 1) / east (vehicle 2) Miller Street / Abbott Street DCA Code 202 (thru-right) 3 North (vehicle 1) / south (vehicle 2) Miller Street / Palmer Street DCA Code 301 (rear-end) 3 South (vehicle 1 and 2) DCA Code 803 (off right Miller Street / The Boulevarde 3 South (vehicle 1) bend into object)
The Miller Street intersections listed in Table 5.1 are state-controlled. These locations have been captured and classified for further action as an RMS interface and are therefore omitted from solution development and scoring.
5.3 Traffic Speed Traffic speed data was provided for various locations in the North Sydney LGA by Council for a 20-year period between 1996 and 2015. Only data for the five-year period from 2011 to 2015 was used to ensure data maintained relevant to the existing traffic conditions. This assessment identified locations where speeds of traffic passing through the survey location were in excessive of the speed limit. The 85th percentile speed was taken as the indicative speed of vehicles and represents the speed that 85% of vehicles do not exceed. All locations where the 85th percentile speed remained below the posted speed limit were not considered for further assessment.
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Locations identified as having an 85th percentile speed exceeding the posted speed were investigated on an individual basis. The characteristics of the roadway, conditions of the road surface, sight distance, adjacent land use and nearby cross roads will be considered when investigating why vehicles were travelling in excess of the posted speed limit regularly and to find a suitable measure to implement to calm traffic and reduce the 85th percentile speed below the posted speed limit. Two roads were found to have 85th percentile speeds in excess of the posted speed limit, which are summarised in Table 5.2. Maps illustrating the locations are provided in Appendix B. Table 5.2: 85th Percentile Speed Exceeding Posted Speed Limit
Count Posted Speed Location Closest Cross Street 85th %ile Speed (km/h) Number Limit (km/h) 752 Cammeray Road Park Avenue 50 57.1 654 Carter Street Cammeray Road 50 50.4
The North Sydney Integrated Traffic and Parking Strategy (2015) states a desire for all local roads to have a posted speed limit of 40km/h. Instances where the 85th percentile speed exceeded 40km/h are summarised in Table 5.3 and Council notified, however no further analysis was undertaken if the posted speed limit was not exceeded. These sites have been included in the action plan to be investigated and scored separate to this study. Table 5.3: Exceeding Desired Speed Limit
Count Number Location Desired Speed Limit (km/h) 85th %ile Speed (km/h) 5 Alan Street 40 45.1 633 Arkland Street 40 48.6 602 Bellevue Street 40 46.8 603 Bellevue Street 40 47.2 681 Hamilton Avenue 40 43.8 705 Jenkins Street 40 47.6 660 Lumsden Street 40 45.9 808 Palmer Street 40 46.1 853 The Boulevarde 40 43.3 717 Warringa Road 40 42.1
5.4 Traffic Volumes Council provided traffic volume survey data for the North Sydney LGA for a 20-year period between 1996 and 2015. Data for the five-year period from 2011 to 2015 was used to ensure data remained relevant to the existing traffic conditions. This assessment identified locations where the AADT exceeded the respective road classification AADT threshold as outlined in the North Sydney Integrated Traffic and Parking Strategy (2015).
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Source: Table 7.2 –North Sydney Integrated Traffic and Parking Strategy (2016) Figure 5.1: Road Classification Desired Maximum Traffic Volumes Based on the traffic survey data, a total of four roads surveyed indicate an AADT more than the prescribed capacity threshold of 2,000 vehicles per day for a local road. These locations are listed in Table 5.4. Maps illustrating the locations are provided in Appendix B. Table 5.4: Traffic Volume Exceeding AADT Threshold
Count Number Location Closest Cross Street AADT Threshold AADT Count 697 Abbott Street Vale Street 2000 2082 602 Bellevue Street Palmer Street 2000 3456 603 Bellevue Street Palmer Street 2000 3495 705 Jenkins Street Kyngdon Street 2000 5807 808 Palmer Street Abbott Street 2000 3615
5.5 Public Consultation The high-level aggregated data (previously mentioned in Section 3) was further processed to identify key trends raised by the public. Clusters of more than ten issues per street was chosen as an initial threshold to ensure only recurring issues were the focus of the investigation. The streets identified with more than ten issues were analysed in detail by clustering the issue descriptors. Trends emerged from this process and key streets and associated issues became the focus areas for further investigation. The key streets are summarised in Table 5.5. Table 5.5: Public Consultation Trends
Location Closest Cross Street Specific Issue Amherst Street Miller Street Perceived difficulty by residents to access on-street parking Palmer Street Abbott Street Fast approach speeds for vehicles West Street Amherst Street Lack of bicycle facilities The Boulevarde Along street Blind spot on crest, which is only wide enough for one vehicle to pass
Transport for NSW
There were 75 issues raised with respect to public transport in LATM Zone 4. 61 (81%) of these responses related to bus services. The most recurring of these requests was the frequency of buses services and timetabling (37%), followed by lack of convenient access to local bus routes (31%). A summary of the issues raised and the raw feedback will be forwarded to Transport for NSW for their attention (Appendix D).
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Table 5.6: Summary of issues raised for attention of Transport for NSW
Frequency Transport Mode Buses Ferry Public Train Grand Issue Category Transport Total Public Transport ‐ Accessibility 19 6 25 Public Transport ‐ Timetables 23 1 24 Public Transport ‐ Connections 12 1 3 16 Public Transport ‐ Stop/ Station / Wharf locations 3 2 5 Public Transport ‐ Routes 2 2 Public Transport ‐ Passenger Congestion 2 2 Public Transport ‐ Infrastructure 1 1 Grand Total 61 2 10 2 75
Roads and Maritime Services
There were 76 issues raised with respect to roads and routes which are managed by Roads and Maritime Services. The majority of these were related to vehicular traffic on RMS managed roads (88%). The most recurring of these requests was the intersection of Amherst Street and Miller Street (68%). A summary of the issues raised and the raw feedback will be forwarded to RMS for their attention (Appendix E). Table 5.7: Summary of issues raised for attention of RMS
Mode Frequency Pedestrian 9 Traffic 67 Grand Total 76
Cycling Strategy As noted previously, 16% of issues raised related to cycling. This included a range of issues such as cycling safety and connectivity, as well as perceived safety of other road users due to the lack of separated cycling infrastructure. Council has already developed and is in the process of implementing the North Sydney Integrated Cycling Strategy, some of the issues raised have already been addressed as part of the cycling strategy and some are new matters that require further action. Many of the submissions justify the work that Council has already planned and highlight the need for more dedicated cycling infrastructure. The items raised are listed in the LATM Zone 4 Action Plan. In addition, all future road facilities will be designed with cyclists in mind to ensure they do not create additional hazards or pinch points.
Road Safety Education
There were a small number of submissions (7) concerned with a lack of understanding of the road rules amongst the general community. Council already produces a range of road safety campaigns targeted towards specific road users about key road safety messages which have been developed based on local crash data, collaboration with local Police and the RMS. The feedback received during the LATM consultation phase can also be used to inform and enhance these campaigns. These actions have been included in the LATM Zone 7 Action Plan.
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Matters Referred to Other Council Departments
60 submissions were received which fall under the responsibility of various Council departments but contribute to the overall transport amenity of the area. These include conditions of footpaths, enforcement of parking restrictions, events management bus stop infrastructure and driveway approvals. A list of these issues has been summarised in Table 3.7 and will be referred to the appropriate departments within Council for their attention (Appendix F). 144 of the submissions received could not be used further for reasons such as there was not enough information provided, the issue fell within a different LATM Zone, or the issue was outside of the North Sydney Council LGA. A comment has been provided against each of these in Appendix G to explain why these have not been included in the Action Plans, or if they have been referred to the Action Plan for a different LATM Zone.
Table 5.8:: Summary of issues raised for attention of other Council departments
Council Department and Issue Category Frequency CIS 5 Refer to CIS 5 OSE 8 Overhanging trees and dead braches 1 Tree sap on cars 1 Hedges obscuring view 1 Hanging branches 1 Request to remove obnoxious weeds. 1 Overhanging branches 1 Prune branches 1 More street trees 1 Rangers 26 Enforcement 26 Works Engineers 21 Refer to Works Engineers 14 Footpath repair program 5 Footpath improvement program 1 Refer to EPS and OSE for more public seating and leisure areas. 1 Grand Total 60
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6. Additional Traffic Actions Identified by this Study
6.1 Section Outline This study identified additional traffic actions to supplement Council’s current list of actions for solution development and scoring. Based on the information in the preceding subsections, the following locations and associated issues have been identified as the focus areas for detailed traffic investigations as summarised in Table 6.1. Table 6.1: Defined List of Traffic Issues and Locations for Detailed Investigation
Location Closest Cross Street Specific Issue Prevalence of thru-thru crashes for northbound / eastbound Abbott Street Palmer Street movements, and fast approach speeds for vehicles Cammeray Park Avenue 85th percentile speed greater than posted speed limit Road Carter Street Cammeray Road 85th percentile speed greater than posted speed limit Abbott Street Vale Street Traffic volume exceeds environmental threshold for road class Bellevue Street Palmer Street Traffic volume exceeds environmental threshold for road class Jenkins Street Kyngdon Street Traffic volume exceeds environmental threshold for road class Palmer Street Abbott Street Traffic volume exceeds environmental threshold for road class The Boulevarde Along street Blind spot on crest, which is only wide enough for one vehicle to pass West Street Amherst Street Lack of bicycle facilities
Table 6.2 summarises the parking areas that are subject to further assessment. Table 6.2: Defined List of Parking Issues and Locations for Detailed Investigation
Location Closest Cross Street Specific Issue Amherst Street Miller Street Perceived difficulty by residents to access on-street parking
The locations and issues presented in the Table 6.1 and Table 6.2 are subject to further assessment in Section 6 for detailed traffic investigations and in Section 8 for parking reviews.
6.2 Development of Additional Traffic Actions Traffic actions have been developed for the following locations previously identified in Table 6.1: . Abbott Street / Palmer Street; . Cammeray Road / Park Avenue; . Carter Street / Cammeray Road; and . The Boulevarde. The remainder of locations previously identified in Table 6.1 have been omitted from solution development for the reasons detailed in Table 6.3.
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Table 6.3: Locations Omitted from Solution Development
Location Closest Cross Street Reason for Omission in Solution Development Abbott Street Vale Street Bellevue Street Palmer Street Area wide traffic modelling to understand (i.e. flow-on effects) and test potential LATM schemes to reduce traffic volumes on the Jenkins Street Kyngdon Street subject roads Palmer Street Abbott Street West Street Amherst Street Detailed bicycle volume surveys are required
The following subsections detail the process for solution development for the subject locations.
6.2.1 Site Observations Site audits were undertaken to identify causes of issues at the subject locations. During the site audits, current LATM treatments were identified (where applicable) and assessed for effectiveness. Proposed treatments were developed based on the specific issue identified for the location and the observations documented on site. Characteristics which were of high importance to the site observations include, but are not limited to: . current LATM treatment; . gradient of roadway; . pedestrian accessibility and connectivity; . sightlines; . signage; . line marking; and . lane width.
6.2.2 Existing LATM Devices Photographs were taken and observations documented to assist in determining the proposed treatments at each site, and to ensure any solutions proposed weren’t already implemented on-site. . Current LATM devices are detailed in Table 6.4. Table 6.4: Existing LATM Devices
Closest Cross Is there an existing Location Existing LATM Device Details Street LATM device? Kerb extensions on all legs of Abbott Street Palmer Street Yes intersection Cammeray Road Park Avenue No - Carter Street Cammeray Road No - The Boulevarde Along Street No -
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6.3 Summary of Additional Traffic Actions Table 6.5 summarises the additional traffic actions and unique identification for ease of reference for the project scoring undertaken in Section 7. Table 6.5: Summary of Additional Traffic Actions
Location Closest Cross Street Action Details Cammeray Road Park Avenue Flat top road hump and speed cushions Carter Street Cammeray Road Road cushions and horizontal deflection devices Palmer Street Abbott Street Wombat crossing Palmer Street Abbott Street Raised intersection The Boulevarde Along street Modified kerbside allocation Abbott Street Vale Street Further investigation required Bellevue Street Palmer Street Further investigation required Jenkins Street Kyngdon Street Further investigation required Palmer Street Abbott Street Further investigation required West Street Amherst Street Further investigation required
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7. Project Scoring – Traffic Actions Council’s traffic actions and those identified by this study have been assessed against several different criteria as per the North Sydney Integrated Traffic and Parking Strategy (2015) to prioritise the actions on a relative basis. The scoring methodology consists of two parts – an assessment of the current conditions (problem score) and an assessment of the proposed treatment (solution score).
7.1 Existing Conditions (Problem Score) The problem score, P, is derived from the following quantitative criteria: . road classification; . traffic volume vs desired volume; . 85th percentile speed vs desired speed of 40km/h; . crash data including weighted scores for severity and vulnerable road users; . relative pedestrian and cyclist volumes; and . surrounding land uses
7.2 Community Strategic Plan Criteria The solution score, S, is derived from the project assessment framework set out in the 2017 Draft North Sydney Transport Strategy which consists of a score from -3 to 3 based on how relatively consistent the proposal is with the following criteria: . Safe Travel - Improve community safety by creating slow speed road environments where more vulnerable road users are protected from higher impact road users and the number of crashes and severity of injuries is minimised . Transport Security - Improve personal security through improved streetscape design, increased street activity and passive surveillance . Social Wellbeing - Provide social spaces where human interaction is given the highest priority and the negative impacts of traffic are minimised, promoting incidental social interaction, increasing civic pride, reducing anti-social behaviour and community policing requirements . Active Health - Provide infrastructure that encourages healthy and active lifestyle/travel choices . Fair Access to Parking - Reduce demand for parking and / or provide more equitable access to existing parking supply . Environmental Sustainability - Encourage the use of low greenhouse gas emitting transport options . Local Environments - Encourage the use of travel modes that have minimal impact on air quality, water quality and noise . Transport Affordability - Encourage the use of travel options with lower social, health and economic costs and higher social, health and economic benefits . Congestion - Apply travel demand management principles to minimise traffic demand and associated traffic congestion . Business Activity - Increase business opportunities by improving the look/ amenity of North Sydney throughout the day and in to the evening while, at the same time, reducing the whole of life cost of transport networks, including the ongoing costs associated with cleaning and maintaining assets
7.3 Total Project Score The total Project Score is calculated using the following formula: