Redland Bay residents fight to preserve safety and lifestyle in face of traffic from huge car park
Residents in a private estate are begging a southeast Queensland council to block them off from a development melting pot claiming the area is a racetrack with “no infrastructure to accommodate what is coming”. SEE THE VIDEO
Redlands Coast
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Orchard Beach Estate resident Steven Komorowski fears the impending increase in traffic from the soon to open Moores Rd car park in Redland Bay will pose a danger to pedestrians and significantly impact locals’ quality of life.
Mr Komorowski and other Orchard Beach Estate residents want Moores Rd blocked off – with removable bollards if necessary – at the intersection to The Boulevard which leads into the estate.
A 25-year resident of the prized estate Mr Komorowski said there were already signs drivers would use the intersection as a rat run to the Gold Coast as an alternative to using Moores Rd, which he forespells will become congested once the 500-plus car park opens.
Intended for islanders and day-trippers the car park at Moores Rd was built by Redland City Council’s Redland Investment Corporation as part of the Weinam Creek Priority Development Area Project.
A host of other developments, including a luxury waterfront apartment and villa complex, are scheduled to start construction soon.
“We don’t want Orchard Beach Estate as a traffic through fare area when the estate was never designed that way,” Mr Komorowski said.
“The area is used by a lot of pedestrians in the morning and afternoon so it will be an issue with traffic.
“And there is simply no infrastructure to accommodate what is coming for pedestrian traffic.
“The traffic sign says local traffic only; council really needs to come down and have a look.
“So blocking off this area will give us some sort of normality.
“It will reduce noise and hopefully stabilise house prices and most importantly stop pedestrians from being injured.
“We are the people who live here; why can’t we have a say on where we live?”
A favourite walking spot for locals and visitors, the area requires careful manoeuvring by pedestrians making their way to the Pelican View Cafe on Esplanade.
Currently pedestrians share the road with vehicles for much of Esplanade with few dedicated footpaths.
Barry Gill moved into the estate about two-and-half years ago and said there had been a surge in traffic.
“We were concerned at the increase of traffic at this road from the start because it was not designed for it,” Mr Gill said.
“The increase in traffic has already started and they haven’t even opened the car park yet.
“It is becoming like a bit of a racetrack and then you’ll have boat trailers coming at all hours of the night.
“So there should be something done to preserve our liveability.
“If they block this off at least we will only get half the traffic.
“But we just have to get the council to listen.”
The men said similar adjustments had been made elsewhere in the Redlands and sighted a roadblock on Cane St in Redland Bay and at the Ridgewood Downs Estate at Mount Cotton.
However, Redland City Council said traffic was nowhere near capacity for the roads at the three-way intersection.
“For the convenience of all road users including the residents of Orchard Beach Estate, council does not support restricting or blocking traffic movements at the Moores Road/The Boulevard/ Esplanade intersection,” a council spokesman said.
“The Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) conducted for the Weinam Creek PDA Stage 1 Cardno, states there will be minimal impact on the external road network.
“The Boulevard is classed as a local street in council’s road hierarchy that is typically suitable for traffic volumes up to 3000 vehicles per day.
“Latest daily traffic counts conducted in the street showed average daily movements between 590 and 716 vehicles a day, within the road’s capacity.
“The local road network through Orchard Estate also includes traffic calming devices with vehicle speed in Fielding Rd, the Boulevard and on roads within Orchard Beach Estate limited to 40km/hr.
“The Esplanade at this location goes into Auster St and is not a through road open to Moores Road car park traffic.”
An unscientific measurement taken by the Redlands Community News at 11.15am on July 10 counted 20 vehicles at the intersection over the course of 10 minutes.