As far as local issues go, the anger over the installation of roundabouts seems, well, like a case of road rage. And, as we all know, road rage is something best avoided.
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The roundabouts being installed in Ulladulla are being funded through the federal government’s Black Spot program. Suggestions for black spots that need fixing come from Shoalhaven City Council and are based on crash data.
If the level of funding required to fix a certain black spot becomes available, council goes ahead and fixes the problem. In Ulladulla’s case, the new roundabouts are being installed because the data collected by council shows they have a history of accidents resulting in injury.
Sure, there may be other intersections that appear to have a higher priority, but if they haven’t qualified for funding in the current round, they will have to wait until the next, or the one after that. It’s a federal decision, not one made by council.
Like all construction, there is inconvenience involved. It simply cannot be avoided. There is also weather, which can delay the completion. The short-term pain is justified by the long-term gain, especially if it makes driving on our local roads safer.
Milton-Ulladulla is growing, so improving local roads is a necessity. In all likelihood we will see more roundabouts installed in coming years and, like all change, we will inevitably become accustomed to them.
Understanding they are not installed at the whim of some remote bureaucrat who drops a pin on a map but on crash data is important. And being aware that intersections with the highway are the responsibility of the RMS might just reduce some of the anger directed unfairly at council.
At the end of the day, if used properly, roundabouts do help with traffic flow and the reduction of accidents. One only has to drive in a country where they are not commonplace to understand that.
In the US, for instance, intersections have stop signs on all the intersecting streets. The first car at the intersection has right of way – you can imagine how confusing this is.
In other less developed countries, intersections are a terrifying free-for-all.
The community has every right to want a say in ways to improve local roads, but venting on social media is probably not the most effective way to get the message to the right people. Writing to council is. So is reporting all the bingles that plague certain intersections.
