Inner City Weekender Article 2
1
THE INNER CITY WEEKENDER, October 22, 2010 3 012ICD247 012ICD195 NEWS Not good enough BY SARAH MILLS S PEEDING ten tonne trucks, distracted motorists talking on their mobile phones and a car full of motor heads egging each other on to drive the wrong way down a one-way street, are just some of the scenarios residents of Union Street deal with on a weekly basis. Members of the Tempe Action Group and residents of Union Street Tempe are calling on Marrickville Council to properly manage the suburb’s secondary roads, to cope with an influx of traffic from IKEA Tempe, which is due to open next year. At a community consultation meeting earlier this month, GTA traffic consultants, who have been employed by Council, presented initial findings of the St Peters - Tempe Local Area Traffic Management study, discussing recommendations with the community. Spokesperson for Tempe Action Group, Deborah Carrigan, said one particular recommendation – to make Union Street a 10km/hr shared zone – was impractical. “Why would this work when none of the other signage in the street has worked to date, including the (bent) 40km/hr school zone sign that has been pointing down the hallway of number 41 Union Street, unnoticed and unchecked now for over 12 months,” Ms Carrigan said. “is sign does little to deter speed in the street.” A Council spokesperson said Council had not committed to a final decision as to the management of traffic in the area. “Council has not made any decision to make Union Street, Tempe, a shared 10km/h zone at the present time and Council will consider the input from residents before finalising any proposals for the area,” the spokesperson said. “e proposal for a shared zone, only between School Lane and Unwins Bridge Road, was one of a number of options submitted by GTA and was intended to make it less attractive for through traffic and improve the safety associated with the school.” Ms Carrigan said she agreed with the majority of the plans presented by GTA, although she did not think the study should be based on RTA traffic numbers. “e RTA traffic numbers don’t take into consideration the narrowness of our streets,” she said. “It is important to understand that these streets (Union, Foreman and Terry) are being used as a rat-run to avoid busy Unwins Bridge Road.” Council said although the study was based on estimates of expected peak hour traffic volumes, GTA consultants would use their judgement and expertise to appropriately manage Tempe’s local streets. e study is expected to be completed by early next year. THE NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB) has stressed that Triple Zero (000) is the number to call in an emergency in all circumstances. “Knowing how to call 000 in an emergency can be the difference between life and death or property being saved or destroyed,” NSWFB Commissioner, Greg Mullins, said. “It is the best and fastest way to get the right response to your emergency. “A fire station’s well- intentioned, but mistaken, promotion of the 112 number has inadvertently resulted in some public confusion and the NSWFB apologises for that.” e 112 number is an international standard emergency number which can only be dialled on a digital mobile phone. If dialled in areas of GSM network coverage in Australia, the call will automatically transfer. “We have to stress that 112 does not work from landlines and therefore it can be dangerous if people remember this number and not 000. at is why we do not promote this alternative number,” Commissioner Mullins said. “Also, with all phones purchased after 2003 the 000 number will connect you to all emergency services through any available mobile network regardless of whether you have a working SIM card or not.” Call 000 in an emergency Residents of Union Street, Tempe, want GTA traffic consultants to consider other options for their street to cope with an influx of traffic from IKEA, set to open next year
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Tempe Action Group (TAG) article on the Council LATM and local traffic issues. Taken in Union Street at cnr of School Lane outside Tempe Public School
Transcript of Inner City Weekender Article 2
THE INNER CITY WEEKENDER, October 22, 2010 3
012ICD247012ICD195
NEWS
Not good enough BY SARAH MILLS
SPEEDING ten tonne trucks, distracted motorists talking on their mobile phones and a car full of motor heads egging each other on to drive the wrong way down a one-way street,
are just some of the scenarios residents of Union Street deal with on a weekly basis.
Members of the Tempe Action Group and residents of Union Street Tempe are calling on Marrickville Council to properly manage the suburb’s secondary roads, to cope with an infl ux of traffi c from IKEA Tempe, which is due to open next year.
At a community consultation meeting earlier this month, GTA traffi c consultants, who have been employed by Council, presented initial fi ndings of the St Peters - Tempe Local Area Traffi c Management study, discussing recommendations with the community.
Spokesperson for Tempe Action Group, Deborah Carrigan, said one particular recommendation – to make Union Street a 10km/hr shared zone – was impractical.
“Why would this work when none of the other signage in the street has worked to date, including the (bent) 40km/hr school zone sign that has been pointing down the hallway of number 41 Union Street, unnoticed and unchecked now for over 12 months,” Ms Carrigan said.
“Th is sign does little to deter speed in the street.”A Council spokesperson said Council had not committed to a fi nal
decision as to the management of traffi c in the area.“Council has not made any decision to make Union Street, Tempe, a
shared 10km/h zone at the present time and Council will consider the input from residents before fi nalising any proposals for the area,” the spokesperson said.
“Th e proposal for a shared zone, only between School Lane and Unwins Bridge Road, was one of a number of options submitted by GTA and was intended to make it less attractive for through traffi c and improve the safety associated with the school.”
Ms Carrigan said she agreed with the majority of the plans presented by GTA, although she did not think the study should be based on RTA traffi c numbers.
“Th e RTA traffi c numbers don’t take into consideration the narrowness of our streets,” she said.
“It is important to understand that these streets (Union, Foreman and Terry) are being used as a rat-run to avoid busy Unwins Bridge Road.”
Council said although the study was based on estimates of expected peak hour traffi c volumes, GTA consultants would use their judgement and expertise to appropriately manage Tempe’s local streets.
Th e study is expected to be completed by early next year.
THE NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB) has stressed that Triple Zero (000) is the number to call in an emergency in all circumstances.
“Knowing how to call 000 in an emergency can be the diff erence between life and death or property being saved or destroyed,” NSWFB Commissioner, Greg Mullins, said.
“It is the best and fastest way to get the right response to your emergency.
“A fi re station’s well-intentioned, but mistaken, promotion of the 112 number has inadvertently resulted in some public confusion and the NSWFB apologises for that.”
Th e 112 number is an international standard emergency number which can only be dialled on a digital mobile phone. If dialled in areas of GSM network coverage in Australia, the call will automatically transfer.
“We have to stress that 112 does not work from landlines and therefore it can be dangerous if people remember this number and not 000. Th at is why we do not promote this alternative number,” Commissioner Mullins said.
“Also, with all phones purchased after 2003 the 000 number will connect you to all emergency services through any available mobile network regardless of whether you have a working SIM card or not.”
Call 000 in an emergency
Residents of Union Street, Tempe, want GTA traffi c consultants toconsider other options for their street to cope with an infl ux of traffi c
from IKEA, set to open next year
