While there are a wide range of issues on Southbrook Road, we are currently focussed on the most urgent of these, including the safety of children, cycling, and access onto side streets as well as traffic flow.
Traffic lights at the intersection of Southbrook Road and Torlesse and Coronation Streets
The traffic lights have been in place for several months now and we're continuing to monitor their performance. After an initial teething period, they have operated well and have generally performed as expected.
The corridor is checked monthly by the Sydney coordinated adaptive traffic systems (SCATS) team in Christchurch, which ensures the most efficient movement of traffic across the network of intersections.
We will be carrying out a more detailed review of queue lengths and traffic movement as we move forward.
Possible rat-running on Railway Road and Coronation Street/ Buckleys Road
Staff have been monitoring the traffic on side streets off Southbrook Road over concerns drivers are using these streets to avoid the traffic lights at the intersection of Southbrook Road and Torlesse and Coronation Streets.
We found that there was a 30% increase in traffic using side streets immediately following the traffic light installation, however this has fallen to an increase of 22% now that traffic behaviour has settled.
We will continue to monitor traffic flows on these streets.
Cycleways
Planning for a cycleway along Railway Road, Torlesse Street and Coronation Street has been put on hold as funding has been withdrawn.
The Council will be considering which cycleways it wishes to progress, with separate funding, in due course.