Rat-run traps

By Shaun Inguanzo
NOBLE Park residents have banded together to protect their streets because of fears the EastLink tollway will turn their roads into rat-runs.
A group consisting of residents, traffic researchers, councillors and council officers will work to have a series of traffic management devices installed in key Noble Park streets before EastLink opens.
The EastLink interchange with Heatherton Road and the Princes Highway in Noble Park will remove Heatherton Road’s highway access leaving highway-bound motorists seeking short cuts through nearby residential streets.
Greater Dandenong engineering services director Tim Tamlin and Springvale North Ward councillor Alan Gordon have confirmed that earlier this year the council formed a study group of residents, councillors and council officers charged with working to stop traffic heading down the roads and creating unwanted congestion for residents.
“It is going to become a rat-run,” Cr Gordon said.
“We don’t want to encourage drivers to go down residential streets.
“You can see how quickly EastLink is coming along.”
Cr Gordon said an unusually high number of residents had jumped aboard the new group.
“We had 30 something at the first meeting at Harrisfield Primary. For traffic management you usually only get five or 10 people, or maybe 15,” he said.
“But to get 30 shows the interest these people have got in the streets they live in.”
Cr Gordon said Fintonia and Dunblane Roads were expected to attract a lot of traffic.
Mr Tamlin also identified Kelvinside Road and Leman Crescent as streets which would also suffer without traffic deterrents.
Traffic consultant Traffix is working with the group to gather statistics and Cr Gordon said a number of traffic counters had already been placed to collect data.
“I think it’ll be good for the area.
“Residents have been singing out for so long to have something to slow down traffic in the residential streets heading towards the highway,” he said.
“With this plan coming in, residents filled out a survey, and formed a group to work with Traffix.”
Mr Tamlin said a local area traffic management (LATM) plan would then be given to the council after a period of public consultation.
“LATM plans are an important mechanism in managing traffic in a structured manner,” he said.
Cr Gordon said construction on traffic management devices were likely to begin in the 2007/08 financial year.