Today’s announcement by the Brumby Government of standardised afternoon peak clearway times on Melbourne’s key arterial roads represents a good compromise, according to Australia’s national road stakeholder group.
“We believe these changes, building on the clearway initiatives announced last year, are an important tool in the suite of measures available to the government to tackle road congestion,” says RA President, Ray Fisher.
"A consistent and co-ordinated approach to clearway management will go a long way towards achieving better traffic conditions for Melbourne’s motorists.
“We think today’s announcement represents a balanced, pragmatic outcome that recognises and responds to the concerns raised by local traders and councils, without losing sight of the wider community benefits of improved traffic flows.”
Roads Australia has recently formed a national policy group, comprising industry and government representatives, to investigate solutions to urban road congestion.
“The success of EastLink shows that new road infrastructure has a role to play, but it isn’t just about building new roads,” Mr Fisher says.
“We can and must make better use of our existing road infrastructure as part of an integrated solution to urban congestion.”
Submitted by Mark Bowmer on Wednesday March 25th 2009 1:46pm