A debate is currently raging in social media due to Liverpool City Councils’ implementation of a “no-right turn” into Lismore Street at Hoxton Park.
As a Councillor for 16 + years, Lismore Street in Hoxton Park has been an issue since the estate was built. IMHO, it could have been better designed so “rat-runs” are not created or viable.
Originally 1st Avenue was intended to connect to 19th Avenue with Lismore a cull-de-sac. Unfortunately, that was later changed to the current problematic design.
During 2024, the Traffic Committee passed a proposal for Council to implement a trial one-way traffic flow from 1st Avenue to 19th Avenue to be implemented towards the end of 2024.
If Lismore St cannot be closed, I favour the current “no right turn”, busses exceptions rule, anything else is too difficult to police.
Residents of Lismore and surrounding streets may find that a longer route via a “left turn access” is likely far better than the enormous volume of more than 42,000 vehicles per week currently using it as a “rat-run”.
IMHO, the proposed “residents’ exception” will be too difficult to enforce and likely abused and modified to a point where it will have little practical effect in limiting the volume of through traffic, currently at around 42,000 vehicles per week designed for a maximum of 14,000.
Unfortunately, closing Lismore Street will mean no bus route through the estate, hence unlikely to occur unless alternate routes are implemented.
Council hosts a Traffic Committee authorised by Transport for NSW (TfNSW), It consists of one Council Member, several adjoining State Member representatives, two Officers from the Highway Patrol division, two Bus Company representatives and a traffic Engineer, hence Council does not have overall control of the committee and its directives. Council has only one vote in any decisions made, the Mayor and Councillors do not have any overriding power, they can only make suggestions.
As a Councillor, I have attended almost every meeting for the past 14 years and try to influence the members of the Committee whenever possible, sadly this issue has been debated numerous times with little result until recently when the overall decision was the “No-right turn” option, which I fully supported.
In my humble opinion, the safety of residents of Lismore and surrounding streets is of paramount importance rather than any savings in travelling time that may occur at their expense.
Councillor Peter Harle JP
September 2024.