The proposal is to put to Council for consideration and implementation a trial change to traffic conditions in Market St, Merimbula (between Main Street and Monaro Street) aimed at enhancing the flow of traffic in that critical zone of the CBD.
The proposal involves the use of ‘no stopping’ zones (24 hour) and ‘no parking’ zones (6:30am to 6:30pm), relocating the north bound Bus Stop (from Centre Point to immediately north of the pedestrian crossing blister) and creating a ‘no right turn’ from Beach Street into Market Street.
The trial is a low cost option that would run from the first week in December 2006 for 6 months and would then be evaluated. If successful, it could well become Stage 1 of a series of measures to address traffic flow and parking problems currently identified as the major issue in Merimbula’s CBD.
After conceptual explanation and some discussion the group conducted an ‘on site’ inspection with further discussion. That process revealed that considerable congestion is caused by:
- Vehicles stopping in Market St to allow parked cars to vacate parking spaces.
- Vehicles reverse parking in the on street parallel parking spaces
- The lack of ‘slip lanes’ for traffic turning left or right
- Vehicles making right turns from Beach St into Market St
- The northbound bus stop is poorly located as it inhibits traffic flow in relation to Beach Street.
The onsite inspection also revealed that there are several points of non compliance in Market St where the parking (and Loading Zone) signage does not provide minimum legal distances. These anomalies must be rectified and will require the removal of 4 car parking spaces.
It was unanimously agreed that the proposal put forward had the potential to greatly reduce traffic congestion and would benefit businesses, the public and visitors alike. MAC and MACCAT representatives undertook to discuss the proposal with their committees and advise the Traffic Committee of overall support (or otherwise) within 2 weeks.
