Eastern 40km/h zone catches on in Adelaide’s west

COUNCILS in Adelaide’s east have already embraced the idea. Now Charles Sturt Council is looking to implement a 40km/h speed limit across its area.

Charles Sturt Walking and Cycling strategy

CREATING more 40km/h zones, wider footpaths and a larger network of cycling routes are at the heart of a Charles Sturt Council plan to change how people commute.

The council is working on a new walking and cycling strategy to reduce people’s reliance on cars and encourage a more active lifestyle.

The plan proposes lowering the speed limit from 50km/h to 40km/h in specific precincts throughout the district.

Sections of Bowden, Brompton, Ovingham, Grange, Henley Beach, Tennyson and Woodville West already have a 40km/h speed limit.

Charles Sturt chief executive Mark Withers said the council would consult residents to determine new areas suitable for lower speed limits.

“It has been shown that 40km speed limits can make streets safer,” Mr Withers said.

“However, 40km/h can be very divisive so we will adopt a targeted approach and only consider implementing the speed limit in certain areas.”

Norwood, Payneham & St Peters voted last week to become only the second council in Adelaide to introduce a 40km/h limit across its entire council area, subject to community support and State Government approval.

Unley introduced slower speeds on all its streets in 1999.

Charles Sturt released its strategy for community consultation this month.

It proposes widen footpaths to encourage more people to walk, reducing carparking on busy main streets and upgrading bus shelters on arterial roads.

At this stage, the plan does not list exact locations for proposed changes.

The plan calls for the creation of a cycle corridor from Henley Beach to Woodville and further upgrades to the River Torrens Linear Park within the council district.

“This strategy places the pedestrian as the number one priority, then the cyclist, the public transport user and finally those in private vehicles,” Mr Withers said.

Mr Withers said council staff would assess the results of the community consultation before presenting recommendations to councillors.

Hindmarsh Ward councillor Paul Alexandrides has suggested “park and ride” options for cyclists.

“A large number of our residents ride bikes to work, but would prefer not to ride in the CBD,” Cr Alexandrides.

“The council could create bike (parking stations) on Port Rd, and that would encourage people to cycle from home then catch the tram into work.”

Fulham Garden’s cyclist James Nankivell welcomed the council’s bike-friendly transport strategy.

“I would like to see more regular street cleaning, because there is often a lot of glass in bikes lanes and it is a nightmare for cyclists,” Mr Nankivell, 25, said.

Bike SA chief executive Christian Haag said a 40km/h zone on all suburban streets would make roads safer for cyclists, encourage more people to ride and reduce inconsistency between council districts.

“People moving through a variety of jurisdictions and a variety of speed limits is not helpful,” Mr Haag said.

West Torrens Mayor John Trainer said his council had not discussed reducing speed limits.

“From personal experience, a 40km/h limit that actually works requires a lot of signage and regular enforcement — and that isn’t always the case,” Mr Trainer said.