Toowoomba council to explore changes to Curzon Street after new traffic lights diverts vehicles through local roads

Toowoomba’s newest set of traffic lights have caused such a significant change in driver behaviour that it might cost the council up to $620,000 to correct it. Here’s why:

A new set of traffic lights on Margaret Street has caused major changes in vehicle movements through East Toowoomba.

As much as $620,000 in ratepayer money might need to be spent to correct vehicle movements through an East Toowoomba local road as a direct consequence of a polarising new set of traffic lights.

The Toowoomba Regional Council will vote at Tuesday’s committee meeting on whether to approve the first of a series of works for Curzon Street between Bridge and Margaret Streets, following a traffic study revealing a significant change in driver behaviour.

A new set of traffic lights on Margaret Street has caused major changes in vehicle movements through East Toowoomba.

The report was the result of new petition by residents, who had argued drivers were avoiding the newly-installed “staggered T” intersection traffic signals for Margaret and Mackenzie Streets.

The lights had been a point of controversy when they were first unveiled earlier this year, with locals calling them “very annoying” and “confusing”.

Bitzios Consulting’s traffic study confirmed those fears, with the report delivered to the council revealing vehicle movements down Curzon Street had increased by as much as 113 per cent after the introduction of the lights.

In comparison, the use of Mackenzie Street from Margaret Street by drivers halved after the intersection was signalised.

The study concluded not only had the lights deterred people from using Mackenzie Street due to the delays involved, but speeds down Curzon Street had increased — with the author suggesting “rat-running” as a potential reason.

“What the analysis found was that there is a clear travel time advantage for traffic moving north to east through Toowoomba to use local streets rather than major roads,” it said.

“That is, during most of the day there is about a six-minute travel time advantage to use local routes including Mackenzie Street and Curzon Street.

“Curzon Street traffic speeds were shown to be higher between Bridge Street and Margaret Street after the signals were installed.”

A new set of traffic lights on Margaret Street has caused major changes in vehicle movements through East Toowoomba.

This was exemplified by the fact that a vehicle wanting to get from Jellicoe Street in Harlaxton to the Margaret Street roundabout near the Toowoomba range would save more than a minute by going down Curzon Street rather than Mackenzie.

Bitzios Consulting suggested a number of measures to make Curzon Street (which is quite open and unobstructed for a local road) less desirable for drivers to use, including road humps, road cushions, wombat (raised crossings), reprioritising the right of way directions at both the Arthur and Campbell Street intersections, two-lane slow points and parking edge line markings.

If fully implemented, the three stages of works would cost $620,000 and remove nearly 60 per cent of the extra traffic.

In his report to council, infrastructure general manager Mike Brady outlined a number of items the council had already implemented (like optimising the signalised intersection and installing new speed signage) and proposed three of the items in stages one and two of the slate of works for a cost of $160,000.

None of the proposed works are planned for Curzon Street north of Bridge Street, despite residents complaining about traffic speeds through the local area for years.

The new study said a 57 per cent increase in traffic in this part of the street was “insignificant”.

Local Manuel MacDiarmid said his 2021 petition calling for improvements to Curzon between Bridge and Jellicoe Streets was not properly addressed by the council.

He said the TRC had mishandled the issue of traffic management through East Toowoomba and Mount Lofty.

“They’re saying the increase is in the order of 400 per day (down our street) after the lights went in — 50 per cent increase is not insignificant,” he said.

“There’s no curb and channelling, the tar is 6m wide, there’s no footpath, residents were concerned about this for years.

“(The whole situation) is a bloody disaster.”