Mike Baird | Member for Manly - Community Opposition to RTA Fence Should be a Lesson for Government

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Community Opposition to RTA Fence Should be a Lesson for Government

Thursday, 14 January 2010

Despite community calls for safety alternatives to be pursued, the RTA has announced it will start building a pedestrian fence in Seaforth on Wednesday, Manly MP Mike Baird said.

�The community�s resounding opposition to the way this issue has been handled should be a lesson to the NSW Government to do things properly, instead of foisting changes on a community,� Mr Baird said.

�While no one wants to see pedestrians injured, many remain unconvinced the fence is the only safety option.

�There is no doubt the RTA has botched this from the start, with residents and businesses only consulted after the decision had been made.

�Despite receiving a petition of more than 1000 signatures, it is disappointing the Transport Minister has been silent on the issue.

�At a minimum the Seaforth community deserves an explanation of the evidence that the fence is required, and an assurance that all other safety measures have been investigated and there is nothing else that will work.

�Safety is paramount and we rely on the experts to provide it, however the community should not be sidelined in the process.�

Mr Baird said he would join local residents, shop owners and the Seaforth Precinct to work to minimise the impact of the fence on the Seaforth village.

�We will monitor ongoing impacts to local businesses and residents and we will push for a further consideration of ongoing safety options.

�Some residents have expressed concern to me that the fence may even increase injuries, where pedestrians will now be funnelled � hopefully this will not be the case.

�The RTA has advised it will amend the No U-turn sign on Sydney Road in Seaforth so motorists will be permitted to do a U-turn outside of peak hours by the end of the month.

�While the community did not achieve the desired outcome in relation to the fence, the RTA�s relaxation of the U-turn ban is a small victory for people power,� Mr Baird said.

MEDIA: Lisa Harrington - 0406 726 880

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Comments (11)

Seaforth village fenced

The RTA's outrageous waste of taxpayers' money in building fences in the Seaforth shopping centre is compounded by the RTA's stubborn insistence that 5 accidents in 5 years is sufficiant cause to go against resident opinion. I don't know how many accidents it will take to remove the fences, but the RTA will have blood on its hands - and we residents will be the ones bleeding, one way or another. The Minister should be ashamed of his incompetence.

Posted by: Andrew Urban at 15-01-2010 18:10

Seaforth fence

This is yey another example of how political donations influence decisions by Gov't. The whole Community knows that it is being driven by Stocklands and desire to increase sales at the new Totem development, where the specialty shops are already struggling. The sad, and frustrating thing is that it will have little impact on Totem but a big impact on the Seaforth shops who will surely struggle as a result, and will likley close as a result. Appreciate your efforts to assist the Community- maybe this can be re-visited once a new Gov't is in Office next year!

Posted by: Peter Fysh at 15-01-2010 22:38

rta FENCE SEAFORTH

I am an old cynic but I feel behind the scenes its about contracts money and jobs. Of course safety is an issue but not there.It is like the 40 mile an hour limit around schools - revenue and we are bankrupt. you have to see the whole pictre.

Posted by: margaret j. ward at 16-01-2010 08:27

RTA

Dear Mike
Should the local government and the RTA like to make a positive action for the Seaforth and Balgowlah residents a noise ebatement barrier shoud be erected along the burnt brige creek deviation.My family have lived in Hope street for 12years and am astounded by the waste of money spent on a sign in the middle of the deviation, when that money could have been spent to improve the lives of all residents re noise and deisel dust caused by traffic. This issue was raised by us eight years earlier and we were informed that the level of noise didn't exceed their limits. I don't believe this takes into account trucks using their compresion brakes at 03:00 in the morning.
If you could take this issue up with the RTA on behalf of my family and residents it would be most appreciated.

Regards,

Simon Bateson
38 Hope Street
Seaforth

Posted by: Simon Bateson at 16-01-2010 08:31

Fence at Seaforth

Far too much attention has been given to this matter which will be a benefit when it is completed. Encourage the R.T.A. to get on with the erection of the fence for obvious safety reasons..

Posted by: Richard Sansom at 16-01-2010 10:23

SEAFORTH FENCE

The RTA (Retarded Traffic Alternatives) has long been a very inefficient government bureaucracy. The only effective service it provides is the issue of licencences and the like. Other than that it is responsible for one of the world's worst signage systems on our main roads and freeways supposedly showing us location direction; almost criminal contract negotaition arrangements with private sector firms building tunnels, roads etc; and horrific road planning and building. It's seemingly only remedy for traffic problems is to install yet more traffic lights.
So dealing with sunch a mindless and internalised group was never really going to shift their decision. However I can only re-emphasise that had Manly Council not been swayed by a bunch of narrow minded Seaforth residents to abort the Seaforth TAFE redesign of that area including redirecting Sydney Road the fence issue would not have arisen and Seaforth's commercial future and people usage would have more secure.
Carlo Bongarzoni

Posted by: Carlo Bongarzoni at 16-01-2010 13:12

Seaforth Fence.........

I knew they would go ahead with the fence with no consideration to the community at all. There will be major casualties due to this decision. Someone has put money in someone`s back pocket and i am sick of people suffering due to BIG business winning out over small. The RTA has a lot to answer for and i hope they can sleep at night knowing they have dug people`s graves, they say this fence is to save lives, well they have just killed many people`s business`s. So SAVING!!!! is not the word we should use. By the way thank you Mike for your constant support. Debra.

Posted by: Debra Arena at 16-01-2010 14:29

Seaforth fence

The RTA claims it is a safety issue, which is a motherhood statement that is meant to silence the thousands of angry residents and local small businesses who oppose it. They claim five accidents in seven years warrant it; even if the accidents occurred due to pedestrians darting across the road (which is not the case as the RTA admitted at the public meeting on September 28, 2009) the statistical relevance is insignificant. Here is why: after that public meeting the RTA installed a tempoary camera in Seaforth to assess pedestrian crossings on an average day. They counted 600. Over 7 years that's over 1.5 million crossings. And even if you discount weekends entirely, it's over 1 million crossings. You can see how ridiculous their 'safety' proposition is; five accidents out of 1.5 million crossings. Where else in NSW will this sort of statistic propel the RTA into action?
To make matters even more absurd, the fences the RTA plan to install will actually increase the risk of accidents as people will be motivated by convenience to circumvent the fences at the most dangerous points at every corner where the fences stop.
As one resident has said, the RTA can not protect people against their own carelessness or stupidity, no matter what fences they put up. Not even pedestrian crossings and traffic lights are guaranteed accident free zones. But the Minister for Roads could protect us from the stubborn stupidity of the RTA. Do it, Minister.

Posted by: Andrew Urban at 16-01-2010 20:54

Seaforth Fence

The RTA claims that the fence is required to stop pedestrian accidents,including 2 deaths,that have happened in Seaforth.My understanding is the deaths were not as a result of people crossing Sydney Road so the fence would have made no difference.
The RTA now says it will change the unwanted "No U Turn" signs to be limited to peak times.It took the RTA one day to fix the vandalised signs so why do we have to wait weeks for the new signs to be installed.

Posted by: Jeff Hudson at 18-01-2010 07:01

Seaforth Fence

Well done RTA. You have ignored the wishes of the local residents of Seaforth. Limiting the No Uturn to peak hour only increases the danger of turning into Hope Street and then making a right hand turn over a number of lanes of traffic in peak hour!! Hopefully when Labour loses power next year a new ministre might reverse this nonsense.

Posted by: ANTOINETTE SALIER at 18-01-2010 10:51

RTA

Urgent remedial public works required:

Removal of the completely misplaced Variable Message Sign on the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation. Reasons: a) it does not tell Nothern Beaches & Penninsular motorists anything they don\'t already know. b) it will cause major congestion on Sydney Road - Manly/Seaforth/Burnt Bridge Creek. c) it is likely to cause accidents by distracting drivers. d) it is damaging the delicate ecology of Burnt Bridge Creek. e) it is disturbing the natural flora & fauna of Burnt Bridge Creek. f) it has wrecked the amenity of Burnt Bridge Creek for residents. g) many members of the public find similar signage messaging around Sydney to be either false, misleading and/or offensive and should not be expressed in public view. h) it is likely to cause road rage.

Seaforth fence has to be removed in accordance with community wishes and for the safety of motorists and pedestrians. A gross public act of vandalism.

No U-Turn signs on Sydney Road have to be removed in accordance with community wishes and for the safety of drivers and pedestrians.

Traffic light at the Frenchs Forest Road/Sydney Road roundabout has to be removed and a pedestrian crossing reinstated to prevent large traffic jams in Sydney Road.

In fact, just about everything the RTA has done in recent times needs to be junked as it is quite obvious the community has no need for these wanton acts of ineptitude and scandalous wastes of public monies.

All Planning, Roads/Traffic/Transport & Policing initiatives and directives of recent times need serious examination for policy fraud and incompetance. Quite clearly the Traffic Managment Plan isn\'t working. The encumbent government has to justify it's actions for truly it seems to serve only itself these days and not the people, the community or residents.

Labor has and continues to fail and should be removed from public service.

Posted by: Anton Horak at 23-01-2010 04:04