Tony Gill

Director
Roads ACT
Territory and Municipal Services
Locked Bag 2000
Civic Square ACT 2608

Dear Tony,

Subsequent to your presentation to the North Canberra Community Council on August 19, 2009,
we wish to make Roads ACT aware of certain safety issues in Antill Street Watson. For this
discussion we have used traffic survey data obtained from a Roads ACT conducted in September
2008, and work commissioned for WP Brown & Partners in November 2002. An analysis of road
conditions on Antill Street Watson was prepared by Hughes Trueman Pty Ltd in the vicinity of the
Australian Heritage Village at the northern end of Antill Street (the intersection with the Federal
Highway) in 2004.

We are concerned with current levels of traffic on Antill Street, and road safety on Antill Street. All
previous traffic predictions have underestimated future levels of traffic using Antill Street.

The Hughes Trueman report classified Antill Street as a two-lane two-way sub-arterial or
distributor road with 7 metre wide sealed carriageway width which would normally have the
capacity to handle total daily traffic in excess of 5000 vpd in each lane [total traffic 10000 vpd].

ANTILL STREET NORTH

The northern 1600 metre portion of Antill Street does not have shoulders and we consider it
unsafe for the current level of traffic. The verges were graded last year after the poor condition of
the shoulders was pointed out by the Watson Community Association. The Roads ACT 2008
survey indicates this section of road was currently carrying 1740 vehicles per day (vpd) traveling
NE and 1914 vpd traveling SW as measured just northeast of the Knox Street – Antill Street
intersection. While two way traffic of 3654 vpd along this section falls well short of the 10,000
nominal capacity, the condition of the road mitigates highly in favour of having this section of road
upgraded. There are poor lines of sight, and this section of Antill Street is ranked high on the list
of ACT roads for accidents involving kangaroos. I personally witnessed a high speed police chase
while riding a bicycle on this road, which could have resulted in a serious injury or death. The
ongoing road works associated with a growth in Gunghalin (Kenny, south Harrison and Forde),
the Sandford Street to Federal Highway connection to Antill Street, and further development in
north Watson (the Australian Heritage Village) has the potential to at least double the existing
level of traffic using Antill Street.

ANTILL STREET SOUTH ( SE of Fison Street intersection)

This portion of Antill Street is curbed and guttered, and in good condition. Sight lines are
adequate, but accidents and one death have occurred. There are three pedestrian crossings
including a marked school crossing at the Signadou campus - Rosary primary in Watson, and four
suburban streets (Fison Street, Knox Street, Madigan Street and Fleming Street) which connect
to Antill Street. All suburban roads result in T-intersections. The Knox Street and Madigan Street
intersections are located about 80 metres from one another which makes entering Antill Street
from these streets particularly dangerous in peak hour traffic. A recent safety audit dealing with
Antill Street concentrated on pedestrian traffic. It did not address vehicular traffic in any
meaningful way.

The Roads ACT 2008 survey conducted at the Knox Street – Antill Street T-intersection recorded
3071 vpd traveling NE just before the Knox Street turnoff and 3400 vpd traveling SE just after the
Knox Street turnoff. These figures rise to 3235 vpd and 3715 vpd respectively during week days.
Remembering that the nominal two-way road capacity of Antill Street is about 10,000 vpd, week
day two-way traffic has now reached 6950 vpd (70% capacity) at this location. If this traffic was
uninterrupted this percentage would rise with the entry of traffic from Madigan Street and Fleming
Street to the south. We consider that this level of traffic constitutes a safety risk now, and will
most certainly do so in the future.

In regard to week day peak hour traffic, the Roads ACT 2008 survey records 901 vehicles per
hour (vph) traveling SE after the Knox Street entry with Antill Street and 176 vph traveling NE
before the Knox Street turnoff. This contrasts with 539 vph and 149 vph respectively in a survey
commissioned for WP Brown & Partners conducted on 20 November 2002. During a six year
period inbound traffic at this location has almost doubled. Most of these folk are predicted to
come from Gunghalin and NSW, with a small proportion from new developments in Watson. With
increased development in Gunghalin, the Heritage Village residential development in Watson and
the opening of Sandford Street to Antill Street, this traffic will only increase. The effective
uninterrupted roadway capacity of such a road is of the order of 1400 vehicles per hour for each
lane (Hughes Trueman Pty Ltd report). We confidently predict that this level of peak hour traffic
may be reached within five years.

In regard to the Hughes Trueman study at the Heritage Village, they recognize that two-way traffic
at the entrance to the development would need to exceed 800 vph in order to justify a set of traffic
lights or a roundabout. The Roads ACT 2008 traffic survey indicates around 740 vph on Antill
Street at this location during the morning peak hour.

Morning peak hour traffic at Knox Street – Antill Street intersection (Roads ACT data
(September 20 – September 27 2008)
Traffic study commissioned by WP Brown & Partners November 20 2002
Appendix 1
Excerpts from Hughes Trueman Pty Ltd traffic report 2004
AUSTRALIAN HERITAGE VILLAGE – BLOCKS 2 AND 3 SECTION 75 WATSON
PARKING AND TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT
04c257-041129-REP-TRAFFICREPORT01

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background
Hughes Trueman Pty Ltd have been commissioned by McCann Property and Planning on behalf
of the proponent, Village Building Company to undertake a study of the impact f the proposed
Draft Amendment to the Territory Plan for Part Block 2 and Block 34 Section 75 Watson with
respect to traffic impact, vehicular access and parking demand. The intention of the Draft
Variation will be to provide for the development of residential uses on the site. The assessment is
based on the information provided to Hughes Trueman by our client.

5 TRAFFIC IMPACT

5.1 Existing Traffic Conditions

The existing traffic conditions in the vicinity of the site are summarised below.

Antill Street currently carries an order of 900 vehicles per day in the northbound direction
(towards Federal Highway) and 800 vehicles per day in the southbound direction (total traffic
1700 vpd). Antill Street is a two-lane two-way sub-arterial or distributor road with 7 metre wide
sealed carriageway width which would normally have the capacity to handle total daily traffic in
excess of 5000 vpd in each lane [total traffic 10000 vpd].

Typical examples of similar two-lane two-way streets in north Canberra, some of which are
nearing their environmental capacity, are Ellenborough Street near Daintree Crescent (5300 vpd
south / 5550 vpd north [850 vph peak], Gundaroo Drive near Burrowa Street (6150 vpd south /
7400 vpd north [850vph peak], Gunghalin Drive (6800 vpd east / 6500 vpd west [1300 vph peak]).
Daily two-way traffic volumes on these streets are shown together with the worst case peak
hourly flows for a single lane are shown in square brackets []. It is noted from the above that the
maximum total traffic flow (two-way) is in excess of 10000 vpd and that the corresponding peak
flows are between 850 and 1400 vehicles per hour in a single lane in the peak direction.

Antill Street [1700 vpd] is currently operating at less than 20% of the nominal saturation operating
level of 10000 vpd and about 11% of the worst observed case above [15800 vpd]. There are
some other new developments nearby this site (e.g. Watson Section 74 Block 7) which are
expected to generate the order of 1400 vehicle trips per day and it is expected that the traffic
volumes in Antill Street may increase to a total of 3100 vpd or approximately 1600 vpd in each
direction as a result of these developments. For the purposes of this analysis we will use a traffic
volume of 1600 vpd in each direction along Antill Street [total traffic 3200 vpd] as the ‘current’
base traffic load prior to this development. This adjustment is as the result of additional vehicle
movements which are expected to be generated to/from the adjoining Section 74 site.

5.2 Impact of Peak Traffic (Peak Hour Traffic Volumes)

The effective uninterrupted roadway capacity of such a road is of the order of 1400 vehicles per
hour for each lane (as observed on the Barton Highway near Bellenden Street). The impact of
intersections will reduce the actual capacity of that particular location according to the capacity of
and the degree of saturation of the intersection or the joining road.

There do not appear to be any capacity problems at the intersection of the entry road and Antill
Street during either the morning or the evening peaks for vehicles entering or leaving the
proposed development. Even if the two-way peak hourly traffic volumes in Antill Street (as a
combined result of this and other developments) were to increase to 800 vph, then the practical
absorption capacity of Antill Street for traffic entering from the entry road would be over 400 vph
before any form of enhancement (e.g. traffic lights or roundabout) would be required. This is
beyond the scale of the proposed development.

Richard Larson
Deputy Chair
North Canberra Community Council
PO Box 396
Dickson ACT 2602
email: deputy.chair@northcanberra.org.au
phone: 6241 3024

August 21, 2009