Another email from our disgruntled Rowan St. resident –
“Good afternoon Jamie- I’ve just received in the mail a Notice from GE Council that Road Works (road profiling & new asphalt) will be undertaken in Rowan Street Elsternwick (but just between Shoobra & Orrong Rods)- interestingly not in Rowan Street over Orrong Rd.
I would like to know how much this will cost ratepayers. Also I would like to know how much the ‘Keep Left Roundabout sign’ cost to erect? If you recall I reported the incident where the sign was totally flattened by a speeding driver (because there are no speed limit signs or any other deterrent for drivers to stop them driving at speeds they wish!).
The fact Council is doing the road works is astounding me – where is the rationale for this action, and how will this action improve road safety for local residents, other pedestrians & pets?
In fact this situation presents a great opportunity for Council to actually put in (at the same time some key safety measures in this stretch of Rowan Street, for example, expanding the boundary of the roundabout to ensure drivers slow down at that point, or erecting one speed hump at the downward slope in the street towards Orriong Rd, or erecting speed limit sign & CHEAPER for ratepayers as you are already doing works here!). Any one of these measures would have demonstrated a Council that is strategic, thinks broadly & spends ratepayers $s cost effectively, instead of adhoc, piecemeal & with disregard for spending ratepayers $s wisely, as this action actually shows.
In fact it probably would have been cheaper by now for Council to have erected one speed hump than have to replace the above mentioned sign.
What is needed is measures that slow down traffic in local streets, not improving the surface so that cars can travel as fast as they wish.
I look forward to your reply to the questions I posed above, at the earliest opportunity.
I note I have not received any response from you to my other 2 emails. Please advise when I can expect to receive your response to these?
Thanks,
Glen Eira Debates 
March 13, 2012 at 10:20 PM
Surly the problem is, if there is one, most likely not the cost of the road works, as any works should be competitive, but whether the work needs doing in the first place
At one posting, we have residents upset about the lack of traffic controls, and in another residents are upset that controls measures are being taken
What do people expect from the Mayor, for sure he is no expert in road building or traffic control, the best he could do is get a response from a GE officer and repeat that, but that’s not going to be enough to feed the wolves is it
I would suggest the battle over traffic was lost many decades ago, more and more cars are coming your way, your street, your shopping centre, your everything.
Take it upon yourselves to make less car journeys, walk, ride, use PT, ride a horse, but please stop complaining about your personal NIMBY life styles, such as, building, living, driving cars in MY NEIGHBOURHOOD cry, cry. The 1970’s was the last decade in Melb were traffic could be considered reasonable, and that was over thirty tears ago, maybe it’s time to look at your calenders and wake up to your realities that you have created
I am not saying your wrong in your sentiment or reason either, but honestly if you think writing a smart-arced letter to Hyams is going to lead to any answers, my bet your going to be disappointed
My suggestion to all is take positive action, join the local bike user group, join a local green group, or the climate change action group, all are working to achieve positive lasting improvements, these are local and worldwide movements. Become part of the solution and not part of the problem, there are no half measures needed with the growing problems we face.
March 14, 2012 at 9:06 AM
Yes Anon, a large number of us are using our cars less and using alternative sustainable transport. But that only increases our vulnerablity in the local streets where speeding vehicles are becoming the norm because Council is ignoring the local street flow on impact (ie. rat runs) of Council’s traffic management on main roads.
I accept that traffic volumes will increase on local streets as it is inevitable given the car culture, increased population and deficient public transport. But please tell me why I have to put up with speeding in local streets when it is totally within Council’s powers and resources to do something about it.
Pedestrians and cyclists have a zero chance of surviving being struck by a vehicle driven at 50kph.
March 14, 2012 at 9:50 AM
Your right, and what if council has given up, what then, relying on the people that will not deliver looks to me like a problem.
Council hasn’t got the solutions, Your major political parties have sold out to vested interests decades ago, and this has tricked down to local government and the results are readily seen being played out with our Mayor, CEO and staff, your are being given political dogma and not solutions
You will have to put up with some speeding cars in your street, because no one that could solve the issue, basically cares.
Some cannot see an alternative, other are happy with the dividend, other won’t risk a change. older people stick to a what they call better times.
If I had 1000’s of shares in oil companies and car companies maybe I would be gung-ho in the hands-off style of modern government.
Surly the roots of our problems are in the way we live our lives.
Change that and you change everything
March 14, 2012 at 11:11 AM
If Council has given up, or in this case won’t even try, then it’s time for the populace to go about changing them. This is a much better solution than just giving up and letting them get away with it.
March 14, 2012 at 11:56 AM
Yes I believe that is right, but voting for a different Liberal or a different Labor candidate, usually running disguised as independents in Glen Eira, will not change anything. You have to find of a alternative, and the only alternative in Australia is the Greens Party which is changing what they can from their marginal base.
That’s what I will be doing with my vote.
I know its not the answer to all problems, in traffic, planning and bottle-washing, but at least they are not locked into that top-down model that has so corrupted the major parties. I will add there are some true progress independents out there that are worthy
As, Albert Einstein said, Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results
March 13, 2012 at 10:41 PM
I’m getting very tired of your green spruiking all the time. The greens don’t have the answers and I’ll never ride a bike! People generally don’t ride bikes to do their shopping. They use cars and when the arterial road is reduced to 40 they’ll turn side streets into rat runs. That’s what this is about and council’s pretence that it’s actually doing something by pouring more tar onto the road and fixing a sign that’s already been knocked down once and will probably be knocked down again and again. They don’t address the real problem via proper traffic management. They hope like hell that just because they’re doing something that this complainant will fade away, give up, and shrivel up into silence. The problem though still remains and in the meantime yours and mine rates are paying for this useless and repetitive patch up jobs all the time.
I also don’t agree with you on Hyams. His first priority is to answer residents emails and letters. He hasn’t. If he was doing his job this would be a major issue for council discussion and resolutioin. This will never happen of course. Newton doesn’t want to do a damn thing and that’s the bottom line on all council policies and decisions. They’re worthless bits of paper full of motherhood statements that amount to nothing. A bit like the greens I’d say!
March 14, 2012 at 9:27 AM
Anonymous I am not a Green as such, just a person interested in the environment and willing to have a go and do something to improve it.
Unlike you, I don’t expect traditional politicians and their parties to solve the mess that has becoming or suburbs.
So long as people take your attitude, of full steam ahead in your personal lives and expecting others to solve the mess you make
You are getting what you deserve in your local government because you are complaisant
Albert Einstein said – Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results
That’s it in a nut shell with you whining conservatives
March 14, 2012 at 10:42 AM
Einstein’s words would seem to fit perfectly into the mentality of this council. Do the same thing over and over again and even when it doesn’t work just go on pretending that it has and that you’re on top of things. Like Lipshutz claiming over and over again that gesac is on target and under budget or Hyams telling us about how much they value community input only to continually disregard it.
March 14, 2012 at 3:43 AM
This council thinks writing nicely presented letters fixes most problems. Would you believe a ratepayer wrote three letters (the last one hand delivered to the SERVICE DESK) reporting the state of the footpath which has been minced by builders, one part completely closed off for up to three weeks near a corner and another part closed almost every day by a gate which swings outwards over a slushy, mud strewn broken footpath and a hole in service strip half a metre deep as well as lanes which pour out gravel over the footpath and the mayor signed a letter….
We have partially fixed th private laneways which developers have surfaced with gravel and guess what if you have further problems with this issue…”COME TO THE SERVICE DESK”.
Full copy of the letter and response is in council minutes as last time it was a public question at most recent council meeting!!!
THE GATE WAS SWINGING OPEN ALL DAY, PERHAPS BECAUSE IT WAS THE 13TH… BUT IT’S BAD LUCK FOR ANYONE PUSHING A PRAM OR IN A WHEELCHAIR OR EVEN WEARING DELICATE SHOES ENROUTE FROM THE CITY OFFICE.
We spend millions and council is not able to guarantee a footpath where according to their figures over 250 cars exceed the speed limit per day so moving out top the road does not seem like an option!!!!
Does anyone out there think the need to ensure use of the footpath is a tall request or have any ideas as to how this development occurences can be overcome. I have lost patience!!!!!!
March 14, 2012 at 9:21 AM
Gotta hand it to Glen Eira’s traffic management department. Time and time again they ignore any negative impact their decisions have on local streets.
Two recent cases in point are the dropping of the speed limit in Glen Huntly Road and the installation of speed humps (not a creative solution) in McKinnon Road. In both cases, the result has been a dramatic increase in speeding vehicles doing rat runs in local streets. Something which should have been foreseen and addressed at the same time as the introduction of reduced speed limits and speed humps installation.
But not this Council or traffic department. They are now focussed on fobbing off the complaining residents rather than acknowledging the results of their actions.
From recent posts, I am horrified that streets (like Rowan Street) are ranked about 450+ in Council’s priority listing. I’m wondering how bad your local street has to become before Council ranks it in the top twenty – which according the budget of only 4-5 local streets per year – will take 4 years to address.
Does anyone
. understand how Council ranks the local streets on their priotiy list
. does anyone which streets have been identified as the top twenty and what are the conditions in those streets.
March 14, 2012 at 1:58 PM
We think that readers will enjoy this bit of past history which confirms again how “progress” in Glen Eira moves at glacial pace. The following news item is from 2002. So it’s taken just a decade for anything to happen. Please also note the comments by Newton & Burke –
Speed limits creating havoc, says motorist.
By KATE HAGAN.
384 words
5 June 2002
Moorabbin Glen Eira Standard
MOORAB
10
English
(c) 2002 Nationwide News Pty Limited
GLEN Eira Council has created confusion by inconsistently applying the State Government’s 50km/h speed limit for residential streets in Bentleigh.
That’s the view of local motorist Phillip Skelton, who claims that more than a year after the change there are enough anomalies to drive a convoy of trucks through.
While VicRoads ultimately determines speed limits, it sought the council’s views on limits for local roads including Patterson and McKinnon roads when the State Government introduced the 50km/h restrictions on February 1 last year.
Mr Skelton said the two roads had different speed limits despite their similarity.
“Both roads are busy and relatively narrow, and have schools and shopping centres,” he said. “Yet for some odd reason they have different speed limits Patterson Rd is 60km/h and McKinnon Rd is 50km/h.”
Mr Skelton said that while Wheatley Rd was very wide near North Rd, its 60km/h limit was inappropriate near Centre Rd. “It becomes very narrow and has speed humps outside a park with a playground,” he said.
The confusion was enhanced by the 50km/h being the default speed limit. It automatically applies unless otherwise signposted.
Mr Skelton said that if the Government was serious about reducing pedestrian deaths, it should introduce the 50km/h limit through strip shopping centres.
He pointed out that a 60km/h sign outside Safeway on Centre Rd, Bentleigh, was contradicted just metres later by a 40km/h pedestrian advisory sign.
In response to Mr Skelton’s concerns, Glen Eira chief executive officerAndrew Newton said traffic speed did not usually reach 60km/h during the day.
“The point is that a 50km/h limit is unlikely to make any difference to traffic speeds within the shopping centre at most times of the day,” he stated in a letter.
But Mr Skelton said the suggestion that there was no pedestrian traffic after business hours was ridiculous.
Glen Eira’s community relations director, Paul Burke, said that determining the speed limit was not “black and white”, with a whole chapter of a VicRoads traffic engineering manual devoted to the topic. He said the council was investigating how to better manage sections of McKinnon Rd so that it better approximated a 50km/h environment.
March 15, 2012 at 12:39 PM
Hi I’m a student journalist from Monash University and I’d love to do a story on this for online magazine the Glen Eira voice. Would it be possible to have a chat with you via e-mail or phone?
March 15, 2012 at 1:56 PM
Dear Madeleine,
thank you for your interest. If any of our readers are interested they could contact you via your email. Otherwise may we suggest that you contact Council directly and seek their views. Paul Burke would we are sure be able to assist you admirably.