About a month ago I received a brochure on the Fitzsimons Lane Update in the mail. I'm interested in changes in the area which may impact me so I watch out for changes. Even though this brochure states there's been extensive community communication, this was the first time I'd heard of the changes and that appears true of others I spoke or heard from.
I've broken this post into three. One for the Fitzsimons Lane and Main Road roundabout Eltham, one for Fitzsimons Lane and Porter Street Templestowe and one for Williamsons Road and Foote Street Templestowe. This is so if there's any comments people can make comments on the specific intersection.
Details of the project are available from the Major Road Projects Victoria website at
https://roadprojects.vic.gov.au/projects/northern-roads-upgrade/fitzsimons-lane
Last night I attended an open meeting where people could meet with and discuss their concerns with MRPV staff and see more detailed plans. I had an excellent conversation with a staff member and whilst I felt happy with the answers, in hindsight I can see issues that concern me. I can see others had their own issues and concerns.
My aim here is to share the issues I feel exist with the current roundabout and how this has changed with the proposed design. Over the 30 years I've lived in Templestowe I've used the Fitzsimons Lane/Porter Street roundabout thousands of times. The following are the issues I've had.
1. Turning left into from Fitzsimons Lane into Porter Street heading east cars behind often try to overtake me but the problem is I then turn into Hawtin Street. You can't turn left into Porter Street into the left lane as the lead foots think the second lane gives them an opportunity to speed past. This is extremely regular.
The new design fixes this issue as there's clearly the slip lane going into one lane on Porter Street.
2. From Porter Street turning right into Fitzsimons Lane people heading east on Porter Street turning left into Fitzsimons Lane simply don't give way. The cut out and cut off traffic.
This is very dangerous and the new design will fix this issue.
3. Turning right from Porter Street into Fitzsimons Lane then left into the Coles Express service station you get mostly the cars again from Porter Street turning left into Fitzsimons Lane cutting you off. They literally try to race you.
The new design fixes this issue.
4. Crossing the intersection as a pedestrian isn't good. There's a long detour to the new pedestrian traffic lights. Now other pedestrian crossing that offers safety for pedestrians.
The new design provides proper facilities for pedestrians making it safer.
5. The pedestrian crossing is poorly placed and when used causes cars to block the roundabout.
The new design fixes this issue.
6. Turning left from Hawtin Steet into Porter Street to turn right into Fitzsimons Lane can be difficult with cars blocking the Keep Clear area but it can be done. People do eventually let you in.
The new design will make it impossible to get out of Hawtin Street to turn right into Fitzsimons Lane. There's now three lanes of traffic and no Keep Clear area and no reason for people to leave a section of the road open for people trying to exit Hawtin Street.
This is a complete failure of the design.
7. Turning right into Hawtin Street from Porter Street is tricky and care has to be taken during busy times. There's two lanes of heavy traffic at this point and a third lane which doesn't have many cars, but the cars do drive past the stopped cars creating a dangerous situation for turning drivers. I usually crawl through to make sure there's no cars using the third lane.
I can't say the new design fixes this problem as they've eliminated the ability to turn into Hawtin Street. In doing so they've created a problem getting into and out of Hawtin Street.
A U-turn is provided further east but the problem is this is reliant on cars letting you through. In busy times the traffic is generally past this point and even with the extra lane space to hold more cars I really think the cars will be back past this point. In effect the area I live in will have a significant loss of entry and exit capability.
8. Right turn from Porter Street into the Templestowe Reserve has not been an issue.
The new design creates an issue as the ability to right turn into the Templestowe Reserve has been removed. This is a very popular park with a lot of activity at peak times. Losing the ability to right turn could be an issue for some. There is a U-Turn to enable people to U-Turn and then left turn into the Templestowe Reserve. The ability to right turn out of the Templestowe Reserve has been removed. All cars must turn left.
9. Right turn from Hawtin Street into Porter Street towards Warrandyte has been removed.
The new design appears to provide the ability to U-Turn at the traffic lights however from my testing of U-Turns if the lanes are not sufficiently wide it won't be possible for the majority of cars to U-Turn. Anything with a poor turning circle will find it difficult to U-Turn at the traffic lights.
I consider the removal of the ability to turn into Hawtin Street from Porter Street and out of Hawtin Street into Porter Street to be a failure of this design.
10. Hawtin Street is used as a rat-run for cars trying to avoid Williamson Road. This creates a considerable bank up of cars exiting Hawtin Street turning left onto Porter Street with the aim then to turn right into Fitzsimons Lane.
Since the Keep Clear section has been removed because cars can't turn into Hawtin Street from Porter Street this means turning from Hawtin Street left into Porter Street will become close to impossible. The rat-run in theory will be useless to others but until people realise the ability to use Hawtin Street to exit the area originally known as the Mountain View Estate wll be close to impossible. Only the southern exit of Hawtin Street will be usable at busy times.
Also keep in mind Hawtin Street becomes busy at the start and end of school times as parents with children in the Templestowe Park Primary School use Hawtin Street to access the rear of Templestowe Park Primary School.
I consider the removal of the ability to enter and exit Hawtin Street a complete failure of the new design. To me there is a considerable safety issue when a complete housing area is effectively forced to use a single exit and then only with the ability to turn left.
11. Hawtin Street exit onto Foote Street used to work well until the bus lane was introduced and the median strip reduced so it was no longer functional.
During busy times it's no longer possible to turn right out of Hawtin Street into Foote Street. You can still turn right during quieter times. Turing left out of Hawtin Street into Foote Street can be slow as there's a constant stream of traffic from the slip lane in Williamsons Road turning left into Foote Street, in addition to the traffic heading east when the lights change, plus the turning traffic from Williamsons Road turning right to head east into Foote Street. At times the delay to exit Hawtin Street can be considerable.
The new design completely removes the ability to turn right into Foote Street from Hawtin Street. This is a minor inconvenience and the option to turn right when available would be nice. However providing the option to turn right means people can sit and wait forever to get the opportunity and don't think about the cars behind them waiting.
The real problem is this exit is already an issue. With the northern end of Hawtin Street in the new design becoming an issue to exit more cars will use the southern exit causing even longer delays.
To me this is a safety issue. Putting more traffic on this exit will put exiting drivers under pressure to exit when it might not be safe to do so.
12. One benefit of the new design is for those exiting Hawtin Street turning left into Porter Street to then turn left into Williamsons Road.
Because there will be a permanent jump lane for the bus (short bus lane) you can exit Hawtin Street into the bus lane and then left turn using the slip lane into Williamsons Road. Because the bus lane will be empty most of the time, as long as Hawtin Street isn't backed up by those using Hawtin Street as a rat run, this will make a good alternative to trying to exit Hawtin Street right into Foote Street. Yes we have to go north to go south, but it's a compromise that's perhaps acceptable.
People need to keep in mind you are allowed to travel up to 100 metres in a bus lane to exit and enter a road so using the bus lane in this way is legal,
https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/road-rules/a-to-z-of-road-rules/buses
12. A benefit of the new design is those exiting the Coles Express service station onto Fitzsimons Lane can use the bus lane for up to 100 metres and safely merge into the traffic.
13. The addition of a left turn lane heading north from Williamsons Road into Porter Street heading west seems to me like a complete waste of time. The volume of cars turning left into Porter Street could easily use the bus lane to turn left without overly affecting the bus times.
14. The U-Turn in Porter Street to assist those entering the Templestowe Reserve and Hawtin Street should to a large degree overcome the removal of the direct turns. However it's uncertain if these will work well in busy times with cars not letting other cars through and no reason for them to do so except out of courtesy.
The right turn from Porter Street into Hawtin Street or the Templestowe Reserve could remain and not cause any major issues. The reason is these cars will not block the traffic on Porter Street heading east as cars are allowed into bus lanes to overtake a right turning vehicle.
I understand how right turning vehicles coming out of the Templestowe Reserve and Hawtin Street pose a safety issue trying to cross up to three lanes of traffic to turn right. This could be fixed by having exits out of Hawtin Street and the Templestowe Reserve to be left turn only.
This keeps the Keep Clear zones which enables cars to merge from Hawtin Street (and potentially the Templestowe Reserve if a Keep Clear was added) into the right lanes to turn into Fitzsimons Lane.
15. The removal of much of the mound separating the end of Clarke Street and Williamsons Road seems like it is unnecessary.
Is a left turn only lane here really that necessary? Surely cars turning left can share the bus lane.
Perhaps less of the mound can be removed if the left turn lane was not required.
Suggestion
1. Hawtin Street is a rat-run and that's understandable. We would all use a minor road if we felt it could improve our travel time. However these changes mean exiting out of Hawtin Street into Porter Street to turn right into Fitzsimons Lane will be near impossible in busy times. Even to exit Hawtin Street to turn left to continue on Porter Street, or left into Williamsons Road will be near impossible unless cars are made to leave room, which is what the Keep Clear does.
Is it possible to have Hawtin Street as local traffic only and impose fines?
Keep the Keep Clear zone so cars can exit Hawtin Street more easily.
2. Carole Close is currently closed. Opening Carol Close onto Williamsons Road would enable the local traffic using Hawtin Street to enter and exit Hawtin Street. This change provides convenience for Hawtin Street users. It does however affect two properties in Carol Street where the properties have been subdivided.
To counter this if the U-Turn in Porter Street works and using the bus lane to turn left out of Hawtin Street and the slip lane into Williamsons Road means this change wouldn't be required. Reducing the volume of cars using Hawtin Street as a rat-run would mean this isn't really required.
3. Enforcing local traffic only along Hawtin Street could significantly help the flow of local traffic using Hawtin Street.
Conclusion
Overall I see the new design has reduced the amenity of local residents who need to use Hawtin Street. The area continues to get squeezed in terms of road access. To a degree this is understandable due to the increasing needs of the many who use Williamsons Road, Fitzsimons Lane and Foote Steet.
The fail in the design is since cars travelling along Porter Street no longer need to leave space for cars leaving Hawtin Street the drivers simply won't leave space. Cars won't be able to easily exit Hawtin Street into Porter Street to either continue on Porter Street or turn right into Fitzsimons Lane. A Keep Clear section will need to be added to enable cars to exit Hawtin Street into Porter Street. Whilst it is not legal for cars from Hawtin Street to sit in the Keep Clear area this seems to be the only practical way for cars to exit Hawtin Street.
Kelvin Eldridge
Please feel free to add your experiences of this intersection using the comments.
