4th Avenue to get traffic calming
PARKTOWN NORTH - Infamous rat-run route 4th Avenue is set to become a little less accommodating to motorists who cut through the suburb at high speed.
Following a petition to the city council and a public meeting with Johannesburg Road Agency’s Esther Schmidt (Speed hump petition successful, week ending 19 July), the agency has begun to implement various traffic calming measures.
Parktown North Residents and Ratepayers Association chairperson Lee-Ann Louverdis said she met with road agency representatives to discuss the way forward.
“The agency did a traffic study which indicated that four-way stops were not a solution to the problem. Although the agency did paint white and yellow lines on the road, more measures are needed to control the rat-runners,” she said.
Louverdis said the agency agreed to a second traffic study to determine the impact of the road markings.
“Some residents said they noticed a positive change after the lines had been painted, but others expressed concern that the road markings detracted from the residential nature of the road and gave the impression 4th Avenue was now a main thoroughfare,” she said.
According to Louverdis, the agency identified four locations for speed humps, and would identify this as a project for the 2014/15 financial year, subject to council approval.
She said the association was pleased with the levels of engagement and co-operation between themselves and the agency.
“Schmidt has been a constant point of contact, which has been great for continuity. She has been pro-active, clear, and by-the-book,” said Louverdis.
She added that, if the community could raise the money for the humps and have them built according to agency specifications, the agency would take over the maintenance of the humps.
Comment had not been received from the agency at the time of publication.
