Smyth and Monash Intersection - Roundabout Completed

This so needs to happen. It's obvious. We drop the kids at school every morning, and trying to turn right from Monash onto Smyth is an absolute nightmare. Often, it's quicker to turn left, and then go fully around the roundabout on Karella and come back.

Good idea

Submitted via weblink
https://yourvoice.nedlands.wa.gov.au/smyth-and-monash-intersection-proposed-roundabout

13 March 2018

Submission regarding Proposed Roundabout – Smyth and Monash

I am pleased to submit an opinion supporting the proposed Smyth and Monash roundabout.

As Principal, I have consulted with my School Board, which consists of elected representatives of our parent body. The views expressed below are endorsed by the School Board on behalf of the wider Hollywood School Community.

The school community is greatly affected by the traffic that uses Monash Avenue. A roundabout will encourage a better flow of traffic than currently exists. However we respectfully submit the following proposed improvements regarding Student safety and Traffic congestion:

1. Student safety. Our students and families are strongly encouraged to cross Monash Avenue and Smyth Road using the Traffic Warden support, as supplied by the Department of Police. Suitable guard tails need to be installed between the footpath and the road side to discourage ‘round-a-bout hopping’ and to push pedestrians to safer more desirable crossing points.

The school community considers that button-operated pedestrian lights need to be installed on Monash Avenue to future-proof the street crossing in the event of further population growth due to proposed zoning changes. Traffic Wardens as the key way for the community to have trust that their children and elderly might cross Monash Avenue safely is not an answer for the long term in our current economic climate.

2. Traffic Congestion. Our school community has no choice but to add to significant traffic congestion between the hours of 8.15 and 9.15 am and 2.45 and 3.45 pm. Our school community exhibits patience and consideration at every turn, however the need to collect students by car means that congestion on Smyth and Monash predictably increases at least twice a day

A roundabout will allow cars to more easily ‘go around’ re-entering the school’s slip road. However, our school community suggests that the road divider including slim bollards be extended beyond the entrance to the Hollywood Primary School slip road exit, forcing traffic travelling west on Monash to continue around the roundabout back onto Monash Avenue to make a left hand turn into our slip road, and forcing traffic coming out of the slip road to turn left (eastward) on to Monash Avenue. Traffic travelling to school from Smyth Road will always turn east onto Monash and therefore effect a left hand turn into the Slip Road. An extension of the road divider will prevent cars waiting on Monash with a right hand indicator and similarly ensure the slip road is cleared as effectively as possible, both of which add to congestion, taxing driver patience and needlessly causing extended delays.

Our School Community suggests making the drop-off bays outside KidzBiz and Ali’s Magic Carpet parking bays a clearway that will therefore become an added lane during clearway times for cars queueing to enter the School Slip road. This addition would allow hospital and local traffic to continue past school traffic.

The School welcomes the opportunity to expand on this submission should clarification be required.

Yours Sincerely

Beverly Innes

Beverly Innes | Principal
Hollywood Primary School | 117 Monash Ave | Nedlands WA 6009
Ph: 08 9386 2343 | Fax: 08 9389 1070 | Mob: 0429 141 058

Nurturing Active Learners

I urge City of Nedlands to NOT proceed with construction of the roundabout at the intersection of Monash Ave and Smyth Rd.
It is widely acknowledged that roundabouts are more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists. According to the Nedlands Vision 2030 Community Plan, residents want to be able to get around more on foot and by bicycle, so it makes no sense at all to install a traffic treatment which is a disincentive to people walking and cycling, let alone a device which actually makes the road system more dangerous for people walking and cycling. A roundabout at this location is totally inappropriate, given its close proximity to Hollywood Primary School, as well as Hollywood and QEII Hospitals.
Because roundabouts are widely acknowledged as being more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, the City of Nedlands could be open to legal claims in the future on behalf of pedestrians or cyclists killed or injured at the intersection, on the basic that the Council went ahead with the construction of the roundabout despite being made aware that it would be more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists.
Both the Federal Department of Infrastructure (Road Safety) and WA Road Safety Commission acknowledge that roundabouts are more dangerous for pedestrians. In their Black Spot Evaluation Criteria, the Federal Office of Road Safety indicates that installation of a roundabout typically leads to a 30 % INCREASE in crashes involving pedestrians. In two separate information sheets from 2014, the WA Office of Road Safety (now WA Road Safety Commission) recommends that pedestrians avoid crossing the road at a roundabout and, instead, walk some distance away from the roundabout to cross the road, specifically:
• Pedestrians should cross roads away from roundabouts because traffic flow through roundabouts is usually continuous making it difficult for pedestrians to cross safely.
• Try to avoid crossing roads at roundabouts - cross further up the road.
Various studies mentioned in Austroads Part 14 design guide for cycling infrastructure indicate that roundabouts are two to three times more dangerous for cyclists than other intersection types.
A WA study of bicycle crashes in the late 1990’s, with which I was involved via a sub-committee of the W.A Bicycle Committee, indicated a high rate of cyclist crashes at intersections with roundabouts, compared to other intersection types.
These studies consistently indicate that the predominant crash type is the driver of a motor vehicle entering the roundabout failing to give way to a cyclist travelling within the roundabout. My personal experience as a cyclist is in agreement with these studies. I have had several "near misses" at roundabouts in the local Nedlands-Claremont area, despite being ultra-cautious at roundabouts and choosing routes which avoid them if possible.
While there is evidence that roundabouts can improve road safety for the community as a whole, this improvement comes at the expense of decreasing road safety for the most vulnerable road users - pedestrians and cyclists.
A recent report by Austroads (Research Report AP-R542017) indicates that 55% of serious crashes at roundabouts in Victoria involved vulnerable road uses, principally motorcyclists (55%), cyclists (23%) and pedestrians (7%)
Some local examples: A resident of Kingsway was injured when hit by a car while cycling through the roundabout at the intersection of Princess Road and Broadway in Nedlands. An older pedestrian was killed at this same roundabout. A cyclist died from injuries after being hit by a car at a roundabout in Cottesloe.
Encouraging greater use of the sustainable transport modes, walking, cycling and public transport, is widely recognised as having a positive road safer benefit, simple by reducing the number of trips made by private motor vehicles on local streets. Clearly, building more roundabouts is not consistent with the long term aim of encouraging sustainable transport as roundabouts make the local streets less friendly for walking and cycling. Ultimately, building more roundabouts will increase the dominance of private cars and make the shift to more sustainable transport more difficult in the future.
Specific Design Issues
The concept design drawing for the proposed roundabout at Smyth Rd/Monash Ave indicates a likely problem with high approach speeds for northbound vehicles on Smyth Rd, as the approach geometry is fairly straight in this direction.
The above-mentioned Austroads Research Report suggests that entry speeds for motor vehicles at urban roundabouts should be 30 km/h or less, to minimise the safety risks for cyclists.
This report mentions roundabout designs common in The Netherlands and Germany in which the approach roads are more radial than tangential, which forces drivers to make a sharper turn as they enter the roundabout.
Also, the proposed pedestrian crossing points right at the roundabout make it very difficult for pedestrians to judge whether vehicles are exiting or continuing within the roundabout. Crossing points some distance away from the roundabout can be easier for pedestrians, as per the WA Road Safety Commission recommendations.

My wife and me use this road on daily basis, and we believe proposed roundabout would be helpful for turning right and increase safety.

We consider that the proposed roundabout is a waste of Council's money for the following reasons:
1. Even though there is a bit of traffic around the intersection in the evening and morning, it is caused mainly by motorists trying to beat the lights at the Thomas Road and Stirling Highway.
2. Most of the motorists are NOT local residents and the Council is spending money for people who do not live here or pay the rates to this Council.
3. A roundabout will only encourage more outside residents to use this road only. It is not going to solve any traffic problems. It will make it worse for the local residents. Currently, we are finding it hard to get our of our drive way safely due to the number of speeding cars in Monash Ave. We do not want more cars to come this way.
4. The Council should spend that money to reduce the traffic in Monash Ave and Smyth Road by putting up traffic slowing measures so that only people who needs to come to the hospital, school or homes around the area will use these streets. Currently, it is used by a lot of people to get around the traffic jams in Stirling Hwy and Thomas Road.
5.As a long term resident in Monash Ave (more than 30 years), we can not see any need to have this roundabout. Please use the money for good use such as proper drainage in Monash Ave. There are only three or four street drains for the whole Monash Ave in the Nedlands Council area. When it rains, it is always get flooded.


Finally, we sincerely hope the Council will decide not to proceed with the roundabout.

V & M Komattu Mathews

Good idea. I regularly use the intersection and finding turning right onto Smyth Road from Monash Av can be challenging in busy periods. As an alternative I will go up Williams Rd then Karelia Ave to use the roundabout at Smyth and Karelia

I believe a roundabout would be very helpful - turning right from smyth onto Monash is often difficult and forces traffic to back up on smyth because it is only one lane wide. Turn right from monash onto smyth is also often difficult. If the roundabout is put in place, there also needs to be some mechanism to allow pedestrians (often students) to cross monash avenue safely (?zebra crossing).

I absolutely think that a roundabout is the way to go.. trying to turn right onto Smyth rd can be a nightmare, especially during peak times!

I think that a roundabout would be an improvement to the current situation. It should improve the flow of the traffic turning from Monash into Smyth and hopefully slow the traffic along Smyth particularly when children are heading to and from school (the number of cars I see speeding through the 40 zone is beyond belief, many of whom are using their mobile phones!).
One of my concerns with a roundabout would be for the children (mainly Shenton College students) that ride on the Smyth Road bike path and cross Monash right near the intersection. I feel that there would be fewer opportunities for them to cross safely once the stop sign on Monash is removed. I'm not sure of a suitable solution.
Another significant issue near that intersection is at school drop off/pick up time (mainly pick up). The traffic flow (or lack thereof) at that time is ridiculous and dangerous. I have noticed many impatient drivers that pull out onto the wrong side of the road in an attempt to get past those cars queuing to access the slip road in the school (this is often not possible as there are usually cars heading west on Monash that are also waiting to enter the slip road). My suggestion would be to remove the drop off/pickup option in the bays outside Kidz Biz and Ali's Magic Carpet (drivers are supposed to remain with their cars but children aren't allowed to leave the school grounds without an adult so the bays appear pointless to me). These bays could be made a 'clearway' at drop off/pick up times before and after school such that they become an added lane solely for those drivers waiting to access the slip road (with perhaps a 'keep clear' marked on the road at the exit point of the adjacent car park). I believe that this would allow drivers entering Monash from Smyth to more easily get through the current chaos outside the school at these times.

This project is long overdue. Please make it happen ASAP, but not during school term. The Primary School has been squeezed over the years by developments on Monash and needs to be made as safe as possible. This is a start in the right direction. Painted 'SCHOOL SLOW' or 'CAUTION SCHOOL AHEAD' on the roads may help reduction of car speeds and raise more awareness.

The parking on Monash outside Kids Biz needs to be changed from pickup/drop off (during xHours) to come in line with the rest of parking restrictions on Monash. Also, the current school crossing on Monash is sometimes used by traffic as a roundabout - this could use some improvement.

yes very happy for the roundabout to be built ..

Monash Avenue is a busy road which currently services a Primary School and a large private hospital. Soon there will be another Private Hospital opening to further complicate the amount of traffic.
Monash Avenue is currently used by traffic accessing the University and a round about would make this easier to be used as a access point. Through traffic should be discouraged, Aberdare Road would be a logical road to take this traffic.
A round about would make this corner extremely dangerous for students accessing the primary school