YOUR solutions: How should we fix Glen Osmond Road?

[ChillyPhilly]

Hello, all. This is my debut post here on the S-A forums. For some reason I figured that it would be somewhat better to start a thread as my opening statement rather than a single, quiet post. Anyway, to tell you something about me, I reckon my ultimate future lays in state affairs, particularly with the transport and infrastructure portfolio. I have met some pretty-high-up people, including Premier Mike Rann, Environment Minister Jay Weatherill and Federal member for Port Adelaide Mark Butler.

As a result of my interest in this particular field, in late 2007 I had written a twenty-page transport plan that I am currently rewriting. Once it is complete, I will post it on here for all to read. The Plan deals with pretty much every aspect of both the public and private transport networks across Adelaide, and makes suggestions regarding the improvement and upgrade of the metro road network, presents debates regarding urban freeways and a system of non-stop routes, offers ideas regarding the plausibility of creating new metropolitan rail lines to important places across the city and so much more.

Hopefully we all know that quite a large number of roads in Adelaide carry large volumes of traffic and as a result can at time be insufficient to deal with the amount of traffic it is required o serve. One such road, I believe, is Glen Osmond Road, the link between the CBD and the South Eastern Freeway. It is only four lanes in width and can become an absolute nightmare during peak hour; not only that, it is potentially dangerous as no solid median strip exists to separate both directions of traffic. So, to accommodate this need, it is a necessity to upgrade the road, but this upgrade cannot be undertaken without the purchase of an extensive number of properties, extensive relocation of existing infrastructure like electricity lines, footpaths, and perhaps some businesses that may request a relocation rather than payout from the change.

Now I put the question to anyone who reads this: How should Adelaide upgrade Glen Osmond Road? Can it actually be done? Should we bear the full weight on our shoulders and purchase whatever property deemed necessary; be ruthless? Or should we do something totally different altogether and create a totally new road? One thing is for certain: Glen Osmond Road is an important road in the Adelaide metropolitan area that is in need of an upgrade, and will need it more so when freight traffic grows extensively by 2020.

[Shuz]

One word: Tunnel.

In an effort to minimise the costs of property acquisition, and disruption to traffic, the best solutlion is to tunnel. Not only does tunnelling provide a soundproof environment, it provides a continous right of way from point A to B, minimal property acquistion, and offers an oppurtunity to reclaim Glen Osmond Road to its former glory - with trams! Only downside is the cost of engineering such an exercise.

Glen Osmond Portal: Where the fountain lies at the Cross Road/Portrush Road/South Eastern Freeway/Glen Osmond Road intersection, there is a rather large property behind it - probably of historical significance if it's remained as it is for so long - a housing subdivision, and a park which borders on the street of Barr Smith Avenue. With the acquisition of these allotments - I would think there'd be the sufficient room and gradient required to go underground into a freeway-standard tunnel from thereon.

City Portal - there is two options, utilising the Glenside Mental Health Centre lands for the resurfacing of the tunnel entrance, which with the closure of Fullarton Road South's intersection with Greenhill Road provides a direct link into the City Ring Route - Fullarton Road North, Dequettiville Terrace, etc.
Or with the conversion of Glen Osmond Road between Hutt Street and Greenhill Road as the tunnel's entrance, effectively turning the exisiting Glen Osmond Road/Greenhill Road intersection into a modified T-junction with access lanes.

[AtD]

Better get your money printing machine out, you two. There are higher priorities and, in case you haven't read the news, a budget problem. Cross Road and Portrush Road carry most of the Freeway-bound freight hence they've been target of the recent upgrades. Glen Osmond Road is more the daily lemming rush, so it will always be at full capacity no matter how much money is thrown at it.

The best solution, IMO, is to place a median down the length of Glen Osmond Road and prohibit right turns. Bus priority lanes and signals at key intersections will also increase the capacity of the road as measured by number of persons (as opposed to the number of vehicles). Requires nearly no property acquisition.

As the majority of traffic on Glen Osmond Road in peak is city-bound, the focus should be on shifting people out of cars and into public transport.

How about continuous bus lanes and reducing traffic to one lane each way?

[Shuz]

The best solution, IMO, is to place a median down the length of Glen Osmond Road and prohibit right turns. Bus priority lanes and signals at key intersections will also increase the capacity of the road as measured by number of persons (as opposed to the number of vehicles). Requires nearly no property acquisition.

Those are sound, budgeted ideas. If keeping with your realistic measures, I would also suggest suicide lanes, So that the traffic can be interchangeable during peak hour traffic.

[Hippodamus]

from Greenhill Road to Fullarton Road, enhance Glen Osmond as a pedestrian orientated strip (i.e. median lanes, wider footpaths, street trees/furniture and introducing a tram line).

heavy traffic will use the Fullarton Road by pass and continue down the rest of Glen Osmond.

[Splashmo]

Hate to spoil the party but I live by the end of Glen Osmond Road, and it is honestly not that bad. Morning peak is ok and evening peak can be a little slow around Parkside, but essentially beyond Greenhill Road there is only one major intersection between the parklands and Portrush/Cross Roads - Fullarton Road, and that's manageable. At other times it is busy but never chockers.

Glen Osmond Portal: Where the fountain lies at the Cross Road/Portrush Road/South Eastern Freeway/Glen Osmond Road intersection, there is a rather large property behind it - probably of historical significance if it's remained as it is for so long - a housing subdivision, and a park which borders on the street of Barr Smith Avenue. With the acquisition of these allotments - I would think there'd be the sufficient room and gradient required to go underground into a freeway-standard tunnel from thereon.

That's a convent, then the retirement village, and finally Ridge Park, a valuable community asset. No way would they go in any viable solution.

[SRW]

Improving Glen Osmond Rd is as simple as, like AtD says, transferring the city-bound rush from single-occupant vehicles to mass transit. And I'd have to agree with Splasmo -- it's really not that bad. I think we're a little spoilt in this city insofar as our concerns over traffic go.

[Cruise]

A suicide lane.

[Norman]

How to fix Glen Osmond... there are a few cost-effective things that can be done (the same things can be applied to Unley Road as well).

• On-Street Parking - Improve it or get rid of it. Either put in proper parking bays and make it a two lane road, or ban it completely. On-street parking is dangerous for both pedestrians and motorists, and harms the general traffic flow.
• Right-turns - Reduce the number of right-turns available to improve traffic flow. Only allow right-turns and U-turns at main streets and where a dedicated lane can be set up.
• Improve public transport - The 861 bus can be replaced/improved to be a more frequent bus or tram service that can provide a more attractive and frequent transportation. With a reduction of two lanes, car users will be encouraged to use the tram/bus, or the park and ride facilities in the hills. Of course, more frequent buses will need to be provided as well for Hills residents, something like express buses from Mount Barker and Aldgate/Stirling every 5 minutes in peak and every 15 minutes (MB) and 10 minutes (AG/ST) in the off-peak. Also improve local buses around Aldgate/Stirling and Mount Barker to continue to the city as said express buses, not just connect with them.

[AtD]

On-street parking is dangerous for pedestrians

Not related to the topic at had, but on-street parking improves padestrian safety by providing a physical barrier between traffic and the footpath. A person is less likely to accidently step inot trafficand a car is less likely to enter the footpath at speed.

[waz94]

There are other priorities that need looking and fixing first. Like speeding up the South Road re-furb into a continous non-stop route.
Speaking of, what has ever become of the tunnel under Grange and Port Roads?????

[Norman]

There are other priorities that need looking and fixing first. Like speeding up the South Road re-furb into a continous non-stop route.
Speaking of, what has ever become of the tunnel under Grange and Port Roads?????

It's on hold or delayed (I read somewhere that it was delayed to 2013, but I'm not 100% on that one), probably will be fast tracked if it gets the federal funding.

[adam_stuckey]

I lived in the hills for 20 years and i worked in the city for 5 of those so i know all about how crapy Glen Osmond is. Yes a tunnel would be great to cut off alot of that subarban traffic for all the hills residents and due to the fact the Mt Barker is one of the fastest growing areas in SA it only going to get worse. If The SA govenment doesn't want another Nourlunga or Elizabeth (Sub city) then it needs to have some sort of plan to make travelling from the hills to the city easy. I think bring back the train service to the hills is perfect. It will cut down traffic dramaticly.

This will work well if there are express routes that go non-stop to blackwood or Mt Lofty. I think that Mt. Barker now has the population to make this a reality and the potential growth will be a given.

There is the cost of upgrading the line and stations but I'm sure the cost will be much lower than a tunnel and much more of a quicker fix, which is what everybody wants.

This is the only way to go generally for Adelaide the cost of building freeways to the edge of the city and not the outer suburbs will be enormous investing into public transport and making that a more attractive option for people, I think its a win - win.

[Shuz]

I'm just curious,
What was the operational capacity of the Bridgewater / Mount Barker (not sure if Mount Barker was covered by STA rail services back then) services before the line(s) closed - e.g: Frequency, passenger capacity per hour, average running speed, average running time?
Did express services exist back then, if not - how different would the service be to normal services?

Hypothetically - If the line was electrified, and you had an express service that stopped only at Mitcham, Blackwood, Crafers stations and ran normal services to Mount Barker thereon, would the service be just as fast as it would be for services that currently run to Belair now (on the diesel system)?

Basically - this is all I know, and for those of you who can decipher what the hP/rpm/kW terminology means, because I haven't a clue, the Redhens which operated the line had this operational capacity:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redhen_railcar#Mechanicals
Which took an hour, stopping all stations, and 50 minutes express (however, does not disclose, which stations it serviced)

As compared to the 2000/2100 railcars
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_class ... Statistics

[Norman]

I'm just curious,
What was the operational capacity of the Bridgewater / Mount Barker (not sure if Mount Barker was covered by STA rail services back then) services before the line(s) closed - e.g: Frequency, passenger capacity per hour, average running speed, average running time?
Did express services exist back then, if not - how different would the service be to normal services?

Hypothetically - If the line was electrified, and you had an express service that stopped only at Mitcham, Blackwood, Crafers stations and ran normal services to Mount Barker thereon, would the service be just as fast as it would be for services that currently run to Belair now (on the diesel system)?

Basically - this is all I know, and for those of you who can decipher what the hP/rpm/kW terminology means, because I haven't a clue, the Redhens which operated the line had this operational capacity:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redhen_railcar#Mechanicals
Which took an hour, stopping all stations, and 50 minutes express (however, does not disclose, which stations it serviced)

As compared to the 2000/2100 railcars
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_class ... Statistics

The current trip to Belair alone takes 40 minutes... that won't be cut by much, even if electrified, because of the sharp curves on that line. The express bus from Mount Barker takes 45 minutes I believe, so it's still the faster option no matter what.