Page 12 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 8 February 2022
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group centres and the expansion of the Belconnen town centre was completed in 2019.
Lower speeds in the City and Braddon, including a ‘people first’ focus on Northbourne Avenue, formed a key part of design guidance for streets developed with community consultation as part of the City and Urban Gateway Design Framework in 2018. This framework set the principles for development and growth in the city centre and along the gateway corridor of Northbourne Avenue including in relation to access and movement. Further extension of 40km/h zones in these areas also then formed an explicit action under the ACT Road Safety Action Plan 2020-23 supporting our commitment to vision zero, the safe system approach and safer roads.
The ACT Government has particularly recognised that the commencement of operations for the first stage of light rail from Gungahlin to the City in 2019 led to a change in the road environment and function. We saw an increase in pedestrian movements in the city, particularly around Northbourne Avenue near the Alinga Street light rail terminus. Following the commencement of light rail operations, it was considered an appropriate time for the implementation of a permanent reduction to speed limits from 60km/h to 40km/h across the city, including the section of Northbourne Avenue between Barry Drive and London Circuit.
During 2019, Ministers from several portfolios worked together to consider the impacts of this measure on traffic, public transport, active travel, emergency services, ACT Policing and enforcement activity associated with the permanent speed cameras installed in the area.
The speed limit reduction was intended to be implemented in 2020 but was delayed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on traffic and pedestrian volumes and public transport patronage.
It was agreed to postpone the implementation until all traffic and pedestrian movements were normalised.
Once traffic and pedestrian movements had largely returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, the expansion of 40km/h zones across Northbourne Avenue between McKay Street to Vernon Circle, sections of Barry Drive and Cooyong Street with high pedestrian activity; and a large section of the Braddon commercial precinct was approved for implementation in December 2020 and executed in March 2021. Low speed zones were also expanded in March 2021 around the Tuggeranong Town Centre and Kingston Foreshore precincts.
Policy rationale
Research shows that the introduction of 40km/h zones significantly reduces the risk of death for vulnerable road users like cyclists and pedestrians. The risk of death for a vulnerable road user drops from approximately 80 per cent when a vehicle is travelling at 50km/h to 50 per cent when the vehicle is travelling at 40km/h.
This evidence has underpinned a number of strategies and frameworks developed by the ACT Government and other Government which support the implementation of reduce speed limits in the city and other town and group
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