Mayor4Unley

I was heading into the CBD by tram for lunch. I like a bit of light reading on the tram, so I packed the latest copy of RAA's SA Motor magazine. Folded, it fits nicely into my small man bag. I thought I would do the road rules tests; multiple scenarios to test your road skills. Then I spotted an article by Charles Mountain, RAA's Road Safety Expert. Charles was responding to a Dorothy Dixer question from a reader. The reader asked 'what should I do if I sneeze while I'm driving?' . It's a question I'm sure that we often ask ourselves. Anyway, Charles went into considerable detail about the danger of sneezing whilst we drive. We're told that we shut our eyes for about 3 seconds (during a sneeze) and at 60kph travel about 8 car lengths. Charles says that ideally we should pull over if we feel a sneeze coming on; but he does concede that it is not always possible. So, to be prepared for a sneeze, we are advised to keep a sensible distance behind th...

The Royal Show is always a great event. A big hit on the pocket, but lots of fun for the kids. Also the local traders on #GoodyRoad do a brisk business. But, beware and don’t get hit by a parking fine. #Unley Council rigorously patrols the area to ensure that residents are not inconvenienced eg. by cars parking across driveways. It’s best to take public transport to the Show. Less hassle, a low cost and you can stay as long as you want. Written and authorised by BOB SCHNELL #Mayor4Unley 10 Halmon Avenue, Everard Park 5035

I notice that Mitcham Council will building a cycle path to connect to the busy cycle path along Rugby Street in Unley; on route to the Adelaide CBD. A great outcome for the cyclists. Rugby Street is already a busy cycle route and the Mitcham road works will generate more cyclists passing through Unley. I read of a forecast 60% increase in cyclists from Mitcham. What we need to do is review this cycle route through Unley to ensure that there are no issues with the forecast higher volume. Safety for all - pedestrians, vehicles and cyclists - needs to be our top concern. There must be a common sense approach to traffic priorities ie. who gets right of way. For common sense solutions and practical outcomes Vote 1 Bob Schnell #Mayor4Unley  Tip: always wear a helmet! Written &authorised by Bob Schnell, 10 Halmon Avenue, Everard Park 5035

A recent public workshop at #Unley Council reviewed the extensive plans to calm traffic across Parkside. It’s a huge area bounded by Unley Road, Greenhill Road, Glen Osmond Road and Fullarton Road. The most troublesome area is north and north east Parkside. In the mornings during peak hour, rat runners are a big problem. The proposed road and street treatments are extensive with a forecast of cutting the rat running by 50%. Reducing it to zero would be great, but that would seriously inconvenience local residents. Given the problem with parking in Parkside, uniform parking controls (eg. 3H) are being considered. The draft 3018/2019 budget has provision for $215k. This will be supplemented by $150k from a ‘Fund your neighbourhood’ grant and more from Govt. ‘Black Spot’ funding. This funding will enable all high priority options to be completed in Year 1. Prior to any works being started, local residents (in that street) will be consulted to ensure there is majority loca...

Last night I attended the Unley FOCUS meeting. I was accompanied by Unley Councillors Peter Hughes and Rufus Salaman. All (but one) of the candidates for the SA seat of Unley were there to give a talk and respond to questions. I scored the candidates and rated their worth to represent us in Unley. The candidates ranged from good to bad to absolutely woeful. One was just so bad; with totally outrageous comments; a racist pun didn't go down well. It was a good evening to assess the candidates. It's a pity that the average voter won't get to see their party's candidate in the candid light that we experienced. Three of the candidates did a bit of Council bashing; two quite heavily. They obviously had no idea of where State Government funding (and involvement) ended and Council involvement started; all rather sad. Councillor Salaman asked a couple of heated questions of one of the candidates. I asked the last question of the night viz. "Will you run...

What a fantastic innovation ... and all the way from Iceland. Don't build a speed hump, rather, paint a 3D white Zebra Crossing. It sounds simplistic, and it is but it is highly effective. It reduces vehicle noise (over the hump) and reduces pollution from cars slowing and then speeding. Unley Council is reviewing this concept to see if it is legally compliant in SA It may not not comply with existing Australian standards. If it doesn't then we should be pushing to get it approved. Have a look at the 1 minute video. I would love your feedback. watch the video

Breaking news ... Germany’s Kaufland buys Le Cornu site, Forestville, for $25m to set up giant 20,000sq m supermarket. Wow. That's huge and will probably fill the whole Le Cornu site. Kaufland builds mega supermarkets that are typically 4-5 times the size of a Coles or Woolworths store. A positive outcome is that there won't be an 8 storey building (or will there be apartments above?). A negative outcome is the huge influx of cars bringing shoppers. The traffic impact on local streets will be heavy. Read more ...

The Leader Street Streetscape Project is now complete. Just a bit of asphalt to be laid near the railway line, booked for early August. The transformation of the street is fantastic. Looks great. It's green and cycle friendly with new cycle lanes. Prior to the road works there were no cycle lanes.. Rain-gardens were designed to filter stormwater and remove pollutants that would have normally been washed down creeks and into the ocean. These rain-gardens will filter about 5 million litres of stormwater annually. That's 2 Olympic sized swimming pools of water each year. Also, the new permeable footpaths have provided capacity to store 110,000 litres of water that will be 'soaked' into the soil and provide extra water for trees and vegetation. This streetscape renovation of Leader Street in Forestville is a pilot for transforming streets across Unley. Over time there will similar projects across Unley. It's been a good outcome.

The roadworks on Goodwood Road and Leader Street are nearing an end. Both projects will be complete by 30 June. Leader Street is currently being sealed and follow-up plantings will finish the work. After 30 June, the State Government will seal Goodwood Road at night. It's been a major upheaval and a period of frustration for nearby residents and local businesses. On the positive side, it will look great and the charm of Goodwood will return. Thinking ahead 12-24 months, work will commence on replacing the road and footpaths on King William Road. Council needs to learn from the Goodwood Road project and determine how best to minimise impact on the local residents and businesses eg. stage the work in smaller sections and perhaps have more night work.

I have just been updated by DPTI about the condition of the Tram Stop 6 Bridge and they have provided the following information….  DPTI Community Engagement teams have been out speaking to local businesses impacted by the closure of South Road.  We have managed to improve some of the impediments for businesses to ensure, no cones are blocking business access points and that traffic management staff are accommodating to all vehicles, such as courier drivers. The following information was discussed with businesses and DPTI is promoting on social media that businesses remain trading as usual. South Road remains closed between Cross Road and ANZAC Hwy. The overpass structure consists of five beams and it’s the fifth beam which supports the combined cycle and walking path has tilted towards the edge of the bridge posing a safety risk. The beam sits on bearings and that tilting has caused those bearings to compress on one side. Engineers are not yet certain...

Here's a letter to the editor, published on 14 September 2016 ... During last week's Royal Adelaide Show, parking in adjacent Unley suburbs was a total mess. Local traffic was heavy and slow. Why don't more people catch public transport to the Show? The cost of fares for single tickets is a big expense for families. A simple solution would be if the SA Government provided free public transport for people with prepaid tickets to the Show.

They are still talking about running the new tram line down Goodwood Road, rather than along Unley Road. It simply won't fit. It would be an obstacle for cars and severely reduce the volume of traffic, especially during peak hour. From my perspective that would be great; reduced commuter traffic in the Goodwood shopping zone. Much of the traffic would be diverted to King William Road and Unley Road; good for Goodwood 😀 It would be a real engineering feat to get the tram down through the underpass with poles inserted into the crumbling walls of the underpass. Ugly poles from the CBD to Mitcham. The real reason for the Government's probable decision to go with Goodwood Road is  a recommendation from the Urban Development Institute of Australia state director Pat Gerace who said in The Advertiser that the benefits were overwhelming. He said that Goodwood Road had huge capacity for high rise apartments and commercial developments, whereas Unley Road was already built up. He...

At the recent Unley Council meeting (June 2016) there was healthy debate about the merit of underground trams (in a tunnel) under Unley Road; from Greenhill Road to Cross Road, a distance of ~ 2km. Mayor Lachlan Clyne had publicly proposed consideration of underground trams. Unley Council responded with a motion on notice that sought to publicly disassociate itself from the Mayor's proposal. It was a healthy debate. My argument against the proposal was as follows: My costings, formulated by assistance from civil engineers, forecast a cost of $1.5b. That cost may blow out to $2b within 5 years. The new Sundrop solar powered salt water tomato farm at Port Augusta costs $180m. At that price we could build another 5-8 Sundrop tomato farms. The proposed solar powered and thermal storage power station at Port Augusta will cost $1.2b. We could build another one and have $300m left over. These project costs at Port Augusta put the proposed expenditure at tunnel building in Unle...

Just back from a holiday in Tasmania ... The locals are bloody terrible drivers in the CBDs and towns. Like a bunch of rednecks. They are highly aware of and respectful of pedestrians, but they screech to a halt at the lights and take off with speed. But, get them out of their cars and talk with them, the locals are nice people. I had many a long chat. They do look after the tourists. Tourism there is a huge revenue earner and job creator. They are so lucky to live in God's country ... if they are lucky enough to have a job.

There is much confusion about the new law allowing cyclists to ride on footpaths. Here is a link to some questions and answers that help to clarify the matter. Now, it's up to the cyclists to do the right thing. It needs to be remembered that pedestrians have absolute right of way. Questions & Answers

Down in the South East, @ Coonawarra, there are SA Government plans to build a bypass road around Penola. A good idea. This will divert high speed traffic and heavy trucks away from the slower paced road used to visit wineries on the famed terra rossa soil. Locals are angry because a proposed diversion cuts directly across vineyards on terra rossa soil that produce premium wines that sell for $100 a bottle. The local anger is led by Jonathon Hesketh of Parker Coonawarra Estate Wines. His proposal is that the bypass be shifted and lengthened so that it skirts to the east around the 15km x 1km region of coveted terra rossa soil. This is a sensible alternative proposal. I hope that the SA Government reviews the alternative and settles on a solution that has zero impact on the famed terra rossa soil. It’s just common sense. If you care (and you should) then contact your local MP and object to this unnecessary destruction. It’s bad for business, bad for the economy, bad for touri...

I was delighted to hear that the State Government has allocated funding to re-seal Goodwood Road between Florence Street and Mitchell Street @ Goodwood – a distance of about 600m. This is a bad section of Goodwood Road and I have been advocating for a re-seal for some time. According to the statement from the Minister, work is to start immediately. I am hoping that common sense will prevail and the road will be re-sealed after the road works to under-ground the power lines – due to start later this year.

Recently the Premier of SA announced his vision of driverless cars cruising the streets and roads of our State. It’s certainly a bold vision, but I wasn’t aware that the technology and more importantly the required road-side guidance infrastructure was mature enough and ready to be implemented. Realistically, I don’t think that we will be seeing driverless cars for 10-15 years. I could be wrong, but it won’t be within 5 years. An interesting concept is what will happen to road rage? Will it decline when the road ragers know that the other car is just a robot? Or will it escalate and people pick on the robots? How will the robots be programmed to deal with road rage? Here's an interesting article on the subject

The report released by the RAA highlights that on some commuter routes you get there faster by riding a bike. Not exactly a revelation. However I was surprised that the RAA is now encouraging drivers to consider riding to work. A sensible (and obvious) recommendation. I guess the day will come when the RAA does call outs for broken-down bikes. For more info, follow these links ... RAA says to ride a bike - it's faster Bike SA is delighted by RAA statement

Fantastic news … the pedestrian/cycle path under Anzac Highway is now open. Now, that path on the edge of the Showground will continue under Anzac Highway and continue into the CBD. Underpass links cycling paths The underpass beneath Anzac Highway and Greenhill Road has been officially opened, providing uninterrupted access to and from the city for cyclists and walkers. Minister for Transport, Stephen Mullighan said the final major piece of the Marino Rocks Greenway - the $2 million Keswick Path - was an important link that connected existing paths on either side of the busy intersection. "Keeping cyclists away from the intersection will provide a much safer option for them - and they will save time too," the Minister said. New route opened to CBD "Greenways are important linkages connecting local streets with off-street paths, creating direct cycling routes and access to public transport stops and stations," he said. "The underpass improves acce...