Trees and traffic

If you ‘google’ a term such as ‘roadside trees, traffic calming’, you will get several million results – how did we do our research before?

Main South Rd

Cars will always be a part of the urban landscape and any engineering that can accommodate them safely is welcome. We have traffic lights, roundabouts, chicanes, speed humps and many other measures to help create a safer environment for all road users.

McGlone Rd

World-wide research indicates that roadside vegetation, trees in particular, can play a vital role in calming traffic and reducing accidents. Roads that are tree-lined can reduce average speeds by as much as 12 km/h.

Princes Way and Wellwood Rd

One theory suggests that something called the ‘edge effect’ provides drivers using tree-lined roads with a mental prompt to drive more slowly. A tree-lined road is perceived as being narrower than it actually is.

In the USA, an analysis of a section of ‘bare’ road after some perimeter tree planting, showed a decrease in the rate of accidents by 46%. Understandably, authourities are reluctant to accept these findings as they contradict the normal belief that roadside obstacles should be at a minimum for safety.

Princes Way east

In 2018, a little closer to home – Freemantle WA – the residents of one LGA voted overwhelmingly for median strip tree plantations over speed humps as a means of calming traffic.

Shillinglaw Rd

One UK study suggests that levels of ‘road rage’ are reduced considerably on road networks that involve natural roadside vegetation.

Waddell Rd

Obviously, there will be particular situations that will mean trees will not be the best solution for traffic calming but it seems a ‘no brainer’ that, where we already have stretches of road which are lined with magnificent tree corridors, we should be doing everything possible to retain them.

The intersection of an authority’s preference with a community’s expectations

The Warragul – Drouin Transport Study was commenced by Regional Roads Victoria in 2017. The study is “… exploring ways to improve traffic flow and safety within and between Warragul and Drouin.”

The concept design for the upgrade of the Wellwood Rd – Princes Way intersection is now available for public viewing and feedback. 

The community can meet members of the project team, inspect the concept designs and provide feedback on Monday 16^th September, from 2-7pm, in the CWA rooms, 10 Sinclair St Drouin.

The Wellwood Rd – Princes Way intersection is a priority due to the increasing number of large vehicles accessing Princes Way from Wellwood Rd and vice versa.

Currently, all traffic using Wellwood Rd must access Princes Way (and vice versa), via a gap in the median strip just north of Waddell Rd. Many large vehicles while they make this turn, will frequently require traffic in both directions on Princes Way and on Wellwood Rd to slow down, stop or veer direction.

Many trucks turning north from Wellwood Rd require clear road on both sides of the white line in Princes Way

Yes, an upgrade of the Wellwood Rd – Princes Way intersection is most certainly a priority; but at what cost?

Some significant trees will be removed, although how many and which ones is not yet decided. Some private property will most likely have to be acquired and the Princes Way ‘service road’ either side of the intersection will be closed off at Wellwood Rd.

The Friends of Drouin’s Trees has determined the amenity value of the trees in the vicinity of Wellwood Rd – Princes Way, using a formula provided by the City of Melbourne and the City of Greater Bendigo. The formula is being increasingly used by many local government areas and uses a base value for a tree of given size and modifying coefficients for species, locality, condition and aesthetics.

Some of these magnificent (and unusual for Drouin) Blue Gums in Wellwood Rd will be impacted/removed under the current concept design by RRV

Of eleven trees in the vicinity (all of which are on Baw Baw Shire’s Significant Tree Register which apparently was not referred to by RRV) the lowest amenity value was $65,000 and the highest $260,000. The total value of the eleven trees was over $2m and the average was $197,000. Not all eleven trees will be removed of course and no doubt an offset process will be applied to those that are removed but, should we be happy with this?

The Friends of Drouin’s Trees has respectfully requested that RRV reconsider their design concept for the intersection:

A roundabout with a smaller footprint? (RRV says there are engineering requirements that have determined the concept design)

Install traffic lights rather than a roundabout? (RRV says this is a more expensive option and requires a similar footprint)

Direct (ban) vehicles of a certain size from using Wellwood Rd in this vicinity?

Don’t forget

The community can meet members of the project team, inspect the concept designs and provide feedback on Monday 16^th September, from 2-7pm, in the CWA rooms, 10 Sinclair St Drouin.  (And you may be able to have your say on some other transport issues for Drouin!!!)