Where council is considering traffic lights in Lismore

RESEARCH into travel times and key traffic hot-spots shows council possible solutions to long commutes in Lismore.

More traffic lights a possibility for Lismore. Photo Peter Holt / Daily Mercury. Picture: Peter Holt

MORE traffic lights could be introduced to Lismore, it was revealed in a council meeting last night.

A council briefing discussed ways to ensure fewer traffic jams and congestion along roads and key routes in Lismore.

While Mayor Isaac Smith and Cr Neil Marks were in Canberra at the Australian Local Government Conference, deputy mayor Elly Bird took the chair for the meeting.

In attendance were representatives from the Roads and Maritime Services and their Bitzios Consulting senior traffic engineer and transport planner, Martin Kimmins, who took councillors through the modelling of how Lismore's traffic flow can be improved.

"As consultants to RMS they identified objectives and a principal one is to develop a road and management strategy for Lismore over the next 20 years,” Mr Kimmins said.

"We are developing the traffic model used (which is) updated by council and RMS for the future.”

Tony Donohue from the RMS said the traffic model gave evidence-based data.

"But there's a number of other factors, but this is not the be-all and end-all,” he said.

Mr Kimmins took councillors through congestion hot-spots such as Wyrallah Rd, Union St and Elliot St, the highway roundabouts, Molesworth St, Rotary Drive and Woodlark St.

"Over two days we undertook 59 intersection surveys using cameras where travel-time data was collected,” he said.

"This data was correlated with information from Australian Bureau of Statistics, then we calibrate this model to the travel time data.

"Once we have a calibrated model we calculate future use scenarios.”

The council's structural engineer, Peter Williams, said the RMS also used council planning data in their modelling.

Mr Kimmins said Wyrallah Rd would need a future upgrade, such as traffic signals.

"Traffic lights are big safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists,” he said.

"If you did want to model or test pedestrian and cyclist options we can add this into the model... it can all be tested.”

He showed councillors six possible scenarios which looked at different traffic flows and road improvements.

The hospital precinct was also mentioned as a good opportunity to look at how the council could consider different transport uses.

Mr Kimmins said it was now up to the RMS to take the planning forward.

The council's director of planning, partnerships and engagement, Peter Jeuken, said the planning would also allow the council to ask developers to contribute more funds for roads.