Project Update - November 2024

Thank you for your participation and interest in the Wattle Avenue - safety and amenity improvements project. The insights, ideas and feedback you provided have been very helpful in reviewing the draft traffic management plan.

Engagement Overview

Through the 318 submissions and our conversations with residents we heard the following themes:

  • The most common theme was to improve arterial road traffic conditions particularly the Duncans Road/Edwards Road intersection, Duncans Road at Werribee Secondary College and the Duncans Road/Synnot Street intersection (up to 144 responses, or 45% of 318 responses).
  • A high proportion of responses (28%) suggested prioritising capacity and safety improvements at the Duncans Road/Edwards Road intersection
  • Single lane slow-points on Wattle Avenue were not supported by the majority of respondents, whereas other local road traffic management measures received majority support.
  • Many respondents flagged that speeding and truck traffic are still issues. Some suggested increasing enforcement to reinforce truck bans and the 40km/h speed limit.
  • A smaller proportion of respondents (6%) opposed installing more speed humps as they are considered uncomfortable and there is a concern they could create unwanted noise. (The proposed speed humps are designed to minimise noise and discomfort to vehicle users.)

All the current proposals have majority support across WAP and non-WAP respondents. Those options not supported by a majority of WAP residents have been dropped from the Local Area Traffic Management Plan (e.g. the single lane slow points on Wattle Avenue and Tower Road).

What we plan to do:

This plan shows the general location of each initiative to be progressed in the first instance.

Initial Works (1-4 months):

  • Ban right turn from Tower Road into Sailsbury Street with supporting infrastructure
  • Install speed humps and central median on Sinns Avenue
  • Install intersection treatment at Sinns Avenue and Slattery Street
  • Install speed hump on Slattery Street
  • Install Wombat Crossing on Wattle Avenue
  • Install two Wombat Crossing at Wattle Avenue and Edwards Road roundabout
  • Install Wombat Crossing on Edwards Road
  • Install kerb outstands on Edwards Road
  • Trial time-based right turn ban trial from Duncans Road into Edwards Road during the morning peak times (6-10AM - Monday - Friday only)
  • Install speedbumps in the service laneway near Gladstone Place

Further works to be considered (4+ months):

Following the installation of the above treatments Council will undertake an after condition evaluation to see if anything needs refinement or if additional treatments are required.The further treatments identified in the study are:

  • Install a series of two-lane slow points and modified intersections on Wattle Avenue, Edwards Road and Tower Road
  • Install speed humps on Montpellier Drive and Cattanach Circuit if required following after-condition evaluation
  • Installation of a footpath along Slattery Avenue
  • Installation of speed advisory VMS signs (or similar) on Wattle Avenue and Edwards Road.

Next Steps:

Council will progress with actions listed under ‘initial steps’ with an aim to have them delivered over the next 1 to 4 months. We will also be consulting directly with residents near the planned speed humps and wombat crossing prior to installation which will be delivered as soon as practical allowing for procurement.

A further evaluation will occur in 4+ months to determine if the actions listed under ‘further works to be considered’ are also required.

Advocacy works:

Council officers have met with Police and Department of Transport & Planning officers to advocate for increased speed and road rule enforcement throughout the WAP neighbourhood. We have also made a submission to the State Government’s Road Safety Camera Site Selection Committee (RSCSSC) to consider mobile speed camera enforcement across the precinct.

Council Officers are also working to get Google Maps, Waze, Apple Maps etc to update their route advisory apps to discourage arterial road traffic from using local roads.

More broadly Council continues to work with and advocate for improvements along the Duncans Road and Princes Highway/Synott Street corridors.

Questions? Please contact Nial Finegan by email nial.finegan@wyndham.vic.gov.au or telephone 87428316 on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday(am).

Improving safety and amenity around Wattle Avenue

We’re working to improve traffic impacts on local streets in the Wattle Avenue area.

Since the Cherry Street Level Crossing was removed and the Tarneit Road extension was built, local roads in the Wattle Avenue area had had an increase in daily traffic.

To help combat this, we’re proposing to introduce a range of traffic calming measures that will shift drivers from these local roads back onto Duncan's Road and Princes Highway which as arterial roads are meant to take higher volumes of through traffic.

In 2021 we conducted a Local Area Traffic Management Study which led to the lowering of the speed limit to 40 km/h. Following this, we also introduced a truck ban and additional traffic calming measures.

The Department of Transport and Planning also undertook engagement on how it might improve traffic. Feedback received during this engagement helped pave the way for the current study.

Through a State funded study, we recently collected data to inform a range of proposed traffic measures that are expected to slow traffic and shift drivers back to the surrounding main roads.

A range of on-site traffic surveys were undertaken in September and October 2023. The data collection type and points were designed to capture all movement into, out of and around the WAP (Wattle Avenue Precinct). The surveys were designed to capture vehicle types, speed and whether they were local traffic or ‘rat-running’ through the residential streets.

The 2023 collected data was compared with previous traffic data sourced from past Department of Transport & Planning and Council studies as well as traffic signal data. A 2019 base year was chosen for Wattle Avenue and Edwards Road to reflect the network travel patterns prior to the major changes and pre COVID-19.

The survey results show a significant increase in traffic volumes (ranging from 66% -116% depending on direction and location) on the main route through WAP, namely Wattle Avenue and Edwards Road, with up to two-thirds of the traffic being through traffic (e.g. rat running as opposed to local access).

Tower Road has seen a 21% decrease in traffic volume (compared to February 2021) with about 15% through traffic. Salisbury Street has seen an increase of 11% in traffic volumes over the same period. Up to 50% of traffic on Salisbury Street is through traffic (and possibly higher given the limitations of the O&D study).

All roads in the WAP have seen a reduced 85th percentile speed which is positive and reflects the new 40km/h speed limit in the area. However, the 85th percentile speed on Edwards and Tower Roads is still too high at 50km/hr. The 85th percentile speed is the speed at which 85% of traffic is travelling at or below along the street.

Trucks account for about 6% of traffic volumes. There is some indication that the Truck Ban put in by Council is having a positive effect, but it is too early to say so with full confidence.

You can read more about the study findings here.

Fourteen different traffic calming measures are proposed to be introduced throughout the Wattle Avenue area. These include speed humps, road narrowing, one and two lane slow points, a wombat crossing, changes to intersections and central islands.

All of the below changes are proposals will be considered for funding and roll-out in line with Council’s usual budget processes.

You can view the below map to see where we are planning for each measure to be introduced or view the summary table of changes here.

Proposed Traffic Calming Measures

View each of the proposed traffic calming measures for the Wattle Avenue area below.

How to get involved

We want you to share feedback on our proposed changes to the Wattle Avenue neighbourhood to make sure we've got them right and that they will meet your needs.

Provide your feedback before 11:59PM Sunday 30 June 2024.

  • Talk to us in person - register here

    Register to attend the Community Drop in Session on Monday 3 June here.

    Registrations have closed.