Residents in Dalrymple Avenue are concerned about traffic changes that Lane Cove Council may make. What happens with traffic in Lane Cove impacts Willoughby residents.

“I find it amazing how Lane Cove Council are considering implementing changes that will have more impact on the West Ward residents; streets were built for vehicles and I dont believe traffic restrictions should be implemented just because residents dont like the increased traffic.  The proposed changes at Karilla Avenue Lane Cove will impact on West Ward residents especially since we are still only permitted to turn left at the Beaconsfield road lights”.

Kind regards,

Some years ago when local Councils had control over traffic, Lane Cove Council implemented traffic changes to benefit their residents. These changes had widespread impact. Such was the impact that the then RTA removed Council’s control over traffic. Since then we have all been at the whim of RTA/RMS decisions.

You can read below the North Shore Times take on this matter.

“A GROUP of residents forced to “bear the brunt” of a daily “stampede” of speeding traffic caused by a twoway rat run has called on Lane Cove Council to act.

The frustrated residents – living on a network of streets being used as a thoroughfare between Centennial Ave and Epping Rd – claim council has neglected their pleas for a number of years now, despite the problem increasing “exponentially” with the suburb’s blossoming development.

The residents said vehicles used Karilla Ave, Parklands Ave and Kurri St to bypass traffic at peak times, creating a convoy of speeding vehicles through the narrow residential streets.

“The residents of Karilla Ave are being unfairly affected by council inaction over several years,” resident Jon Johannsen of Karilla Ave said at a council meeting last week.

“(There’s a) noticeable growth in the glitzier vehicles with augmented muffler systems, loud music and a tendency to use Karilla as a speed test zone.

“This means faster speeds up to 70km/h in some cases occur with single vehicles in either direction and that’s when they’re not travelling in convoy, which we regularly get.”

Karilla Ave resident Ruth Neumann said: “We bear the brunt of the two-way rat run on a daily basis. We experience the growing intensity of the rat run travelling both east and west.

“We are concerned at the increasing volume, speed and safety issues.”

The residents are lobbying the council to amend traffic rules to allow only left-hand turns from Karilla Ave into Centennial Ave and no entry into Karilla Ave from Centennial Ave.

Ms Neumann argued that the council had taken such action on surrounding roads, so Karilla Ave should be included or those streets opened up to distribute the rat run equitably.

After the meeting, Ms Neumann told the North

Shore Times many residents felt frustrated and neglected after campaigning the issue with council for more than four years without results.

“This has been a longstanding issue that the residents’ association has tried to engage with council on,” she said. “It is increasing exponentially. As they open up more and more apartments we seem to be getting more and more vehicles.”

Lane Cove North Residents’ Association president June Hesseran said the problem was making it “very dangerous” for residents to come and go from their driveways.

“These people are only interested in getting from A to B in the fastest possible time and they think it’s their God-given right,” she said.

“I have got to the point now where I try not to leave the area before 9am in the morning. Somebody is going to be badly injured or even killed,” Ms Hesseran said.

A council spokeswoman said the matter would be addressed this week at the Lane Cove North Advisory Committee to discuss the results of a recent traffic consultation. From there, a recommendation would be made to the council’s traffic committee, she said.

The residents of Karilla Ave are being unfairly affected by council inaction Resident Jon Johannsen”.