Toowoomba residents rage over Ruthven St speed limit cut

The Department of Transport has cut the speed limit of a 700m stretch of Ruthven St by 10km/h, sparking fierce community backlash and warnings of "rat-running".

Toowoomba residents have vented their frustrations at the latest speed limit change to Ruthven St, after a section heading out of town towards Warwick was reduced by 10km/h.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads revealed last week the road from near Freyling Park to the southern side of Nelson St in Kearneys Spring would drop from 70km/h to 60km/h, before returning to 80km/h after the traffic lights.

The department said the changes were made after “concerns from the local community” sparked a speed limit review.

New Ruthven St speed limit in Kearneys Spring – will it work?

This is the second speed limit change on Ruthven St heading towards Warwick in recent years, after the stretch between Long and Alderley streets was reduced to 50km/h in April last year.

While the stretch of road affected totals 700m in length, that didn’t stop residents from raging online about the decision.

A non-scientific poll of The Chronicle readers suggested just a third of respondents supported the change, with many locals questioning the validity of the concerns from people in the area.

Other people pointed out such a change could prompt people to get around it by taking smaller streets around it, a practice known as “rat-running”.

Here’s what you said:

Doubt over public consultation and necessity

Gail

Bunch of idiots in council and their traffic branch. What’s the point of the speed reduction? How many people actually asked for the change? Give us numbers. Maybe one? Maybe two?

Editor’s note: TMR was responsible for the speed limit change.

Em Kathleen

Changing the speed limit isn’t going to change, or help anything.

Tony Lake

If you really believe that 6 extra seconds is life-changing for you, then I suggest you get out more.

Calls for reductions on residential rat runs

R

Can you please make Mackenzie Street from James Street through to Nelson Streets 50km/h.

The morning & afternoon peak traffic are using this section as a ‘by pass’ from Ruthven Street.

Together with the speed that drivers hoon along this section is getting very dangerous.

Jamie

And while you are at it, make Rowbotham Street from Tourist Road to Nelson Street the same.

Firstly, because it is already congested and regarded by many as the “Rowbotham Speedway”, and secondly because dropping limits on Mackenzie will just push more people onto Rowbotham.

Poor traffic flow and light sequencing

Bert Lambley

Street was 60 back to50. some lights don’t stay green long enough.

Danielle Moroney

They can drop all they like, such as the 50 zone on Taylor doesn’t mean anything and that every second car thinks that’s a minimum and when the lights go green at the Taylor and tor lights bugger merging it’s bumper cars at formula one speed.

Lesley Hoskin

This year while working on Ruthven Street from Alderly to Stenner Street we had our little street Hanna Court Changed. Now we can’t turn right entering Ruthven Street and left coming off Ruthven Street.

Display name

This is a good change but please put the speed back up to 60km/h on Ruthven Street from Alderley St to Stephen St.