Peak hour traffic in the Molonglo Valley. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
The ACT Greens are petitioning the government for what they say is a solution to traffic woes in Canberra’s fastest-growing district.
Coppins Crossing Road, a major thoroughfare between the Molonglo Valley and Belconnen, has been closed between Holborow Avenue and Hazel Hawke Avenue since late April to allow the massive steel girders of the new Molonglo River Bridge to be craned into place.
The closure has been funnelling all traffic onto John Gorton Drive, and in peak hour, the result has been a slog. Commuters are reporting it can take 30 to 50 minutes to edge forward to the exit ramp onto the Parkway.
ACT Greens Member for Yerrabi (Gungahlin), Andrew Braddock, launched an online petition this week, calling for dedicated bus lanes to be installed along the Molonglo Valley’s main roads.
“Residents are facing significant congestion along John Gorton Drive and the Cotter Road, leading to increased commuting times and dangerous rat-running through suburban streets,” the petition reads.
Molonglo Valley is currently home to more than 11,000 people, according to the latest census, but it’s expected to reach 70,000 by 2050.
The petition notes that traffic is already getting worse.
“This congestion will worsen as the district develops. The benefits of the recent bus frequency improvements, as delivered in the latest timetable changes, cannot be fully realised so long as the buses continue to get stuck in the very traffic they are intended to relieve.”
In a statement to Region, Mr Braddon said residents are “quite rightly fed up”.
A diagram showing the proposed new bus lanes. Photo: ACT Greens.
He said congestion even doomed to failure Transport Canberra’s new bus timetable, which delivered several new routes into and out of Molonglo Valley to Belconnen, Woden and the city.
“The ACT Government’s recent increase in bus services to Molongolo are simply getting stuck in John Gorton Drive and Cotter Road.
“If we get our buses out of traffic congestion with a dedicated busway, we can get more people on board. This not only helps reduce traffic congestion but also means our bus service will be more efficient, faster, frequent and reliable.”
The petition calls for full-length bus lanes from the John Gorton Drive/Steve Irwin Avenue/Fred Daly Avenue intersection in Coombs and Wright to the Cotter Road/Kirkpatrick Street/Dargie Street intersection at North Weston.
It also asks for the government to ensure the future extension of Bindubi Street to Whitlam comes with full-length bus lanes “from day one, to avoid a repeat”.
An ACT Greens spokesperson confirmed the bus lanes would be in addition to current lanes of traffic, rather than replacing an existing one, and would fit into green verge areas along both sides of the roads already “future-proofed” for the purpose.
The spokesperson also said the new bus lanes would open the way for more services to be introduced as Molonglo grows.
“Bus lanes will mean those services can operate free of congestion.”
So far, the petition has racked up less than 100 signatures (it needs 500 or more to be referred to a government committee inquiry). However, it already has the “full support” of the Public Transport Association of Canberra (PTCBR).
“John Gorton Drive is very busy, and is getting even busier,” secretary Matt Baillie told Region.
“The old bus lanes were good for the early days of Molonglo, but the only way we’re going to support a town of 70,000 people is with additional, full-length lanes for public transport. A bus can replace up to 80 cars in traffic, so it should be a no-brainer.”
