Public consultation is open for Stage 1 of the Maroubra Road Corridor Study, which aims to identify transport connectivity problems and improve road safety for cyclists and pedestrians.
Council is encouraging locals to contribute their ideas on how to improve the area and from these inputs, concept plans will be developed to prioritise the following goals:
- Improve safety at intersections for all road users
- Improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists
- Create stronger links for active transport, including pedestrian and cycle connections
- Create spaces for people, such as new street furniture
- Consider changes to parking whilst minimising parking loss
Whilst the consultation is ongoing, development of design options, site investigations, traffic surveys, and modelling will also be underway so Council can present the Draft Corridor Study Report at the Randwick Traffic Committee meeting in April 2022.
Following the technical endorsement, Stage 2 of the consultations will be underway to finalise the concept plans by the middle of 2022.
“I have lived in Maroubra for 20years cycling to work and to the shops every day, but I never cycle on Maroubra Road because I feel very unsafe,” a resident contributed. “I always have to find back routes to avoid it. My children do music classes at the school on Maroubra Road in North Maroubra, but I can’t let them ride their bikes to class because it isn’t safe. It would be a great help if there was a bike path all the way down to the Eastgardens end of the road.”
“The wide empty stretch between Bunnerong Road and Anzac Parade is crying out for medium to tall trees particularly given the oversized new development near Eastgardens, the area desperately needs more greenery to look inviting to humans and birds alike and to cool down the hard surfaces,” another resident said. “It would be good if all traffic lights, not just those at central intersections would automatically switch to green for pedestrians in line with cars going the same way. Some improvement was made at the beginning of COVID but this should be rolled out widely.”
“I use Maroubra Road regularly as both a motorist and cyclist. Firstly as a motorist, if you come from Hinkler Street and want to turn right onto Maroubra Road then this is quite a dangerous maneuver. It is very hard to see cars coming from the right as parked cars obscure your view and if you nose the car out so you can see you almost get swiped. Given there are effectively 4 lanes of traffic and depending on the time of day, it can take some time to get a clear gap to turn (or even go straight ahead across Maroubra Road).
“As a cyclist, there is no cycle lane between Bunnerong Road and Anzac Parade. It is not safe to ride down the side of the parked cars and risk getting a door opened on you, so you have no choice but to take a lane and then get honked at by cars who are angry. So anything that can be done to make it safer would be appreciated! Thank you!”
The Maroubra Road Corridor Study will be up for public consultation until 15 December 2021.