The LDK Amberfield entrance on Cotter Road at Weston. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
The ACT Government has poured cold water for now on calls from a new retirement village in Weston for traffic lights and bus stops to be installed on Cotter Road.
But Amberfield residents have not given up hope that these measures to improve safety and connectivity will be adopted in the long term.
The residents and developer LDK have been lobbying since August last year for improvements to the Fryer Road intersection with Cotter Road to make entering and leaving the site safer and also launched a petition.
This week residents received an official response to the petition from City and Government Services Minister Tara Cheyne, who said concerns about peak-time traffic delays on the busy Cotter Road had weighed against the calls for traffic lights.
Ms Cheyne said Roads ACT needed to balance traffic flow, accessibility and safety for all modes of transport.
“The Cotter Road corridor is already experiencing significant congestion during peak periods, with demand regularly exceeding capacity,” she said.
“In addition, Cotter Road is a key inter-town public transport corridor, which is intended to support bus priority.
“Therefore, any future installation of a new set of traffic signals in that corridor would need to be carefully assessed and would be considered as part of the NCA’s planning process.”
Ms Cheyne said preliminary investigation had highlighted that signalisation with pedestrian crossing facilities, including an eastbound bus jump lane, would result in increased delays and queuing during morning peak hour.
Queuing could also interfere with the operation of the Tuggeranong Parkway/Cotter Road interchange.
This and other options had been discussed with LDK representatives, including banning right turns out from Fryer Road and all right turns at the intersection.
Ms Cheyne said banning turns would improve safety at the intersection but result in u-turns at other nearby intersections, possibly requiring changes there so that the risk of crashes did not increase.
She said the City and Environment Directorate (CED) would not support bus stops on Cotter Road adjacent to the development unless LDK could provide a safe crossing.
“The ACT Government is willing to consider options put forward by LDK Amberfield that may facilitate this need,” she said.
“Alternatively, other non-infrastructure options should also be considered with an example being a shuttle bus service run by the Amberfield retirement village.”
City and Government Services Minister Tara Cheyne said talks with LDK would continue. Photo: ACT Government.
Ms Cheyne made it clear that the government expected LDK as the lessee to bear the cost of any new infrastructure.
She said Roads ACT would continue to discuss and assess short term options proposed by LDK, potentially through temporary traffic management arrangements while construction works were under way at Amberfield Village.
LDK Amberfield intended to submit a potential infrastructure upgrade option to the NCA and ACT Government for future consideration.
Ms Cheyne said Roads ACT had suggested that this also consider a path connection to the existing Cotter Road path underpass, further to the east.
“The feasibility of LDK’s preferred infrastructure solution/s would then need to be assessed and discussed with the NCA and CED to support progression through NCA’s planning system,” she said.
Connecting Amberfield Task Group convenor Mal Prior said Ms Cheyne had been more cautious than expected, based on feedback from consultations with the Directorates, but the group had not given up on the lights and bus stops in the longer term.
In the meantime, LDK was investigating the option of creating an acceleration lane for the left turn out of Fryer Road on to Cotter Road plus a parallel pathway from that point to connect with the existing pathway system at the Equestrian Centre entry.
“This would provide access for residents and others to the local shops and elsewhere,” Mr Prior said.
“The other pathway connection we are working on is from the rear end of the site down to the Molonglo River corridor pathway system.”
He said agreement was also pending on better and more prominent signage on Cotter Road announcing the village.
LDK said its position had not changed on taking road safety very seriously for its residents at Amberfield.
“As per Minister Cheyne’s response, LDK has been actively engaging with TCCS on alternative safe ways for our residents to access Cotter Road,” LDK said.
