Well, here I go again… VicRoads + Government = money down the gurgler!
Last week (August 2018), there were two major press releases regarding roads:
- Road and Road Safety Minister Luke Donnellan said ALL revenue from traffic cameras and on-the-spot speeding fines would be used to fix suburban and country roads, under a new state government initiative.
- For the past six years, vehicle owners have paid more than $200 each on their registrations to meet the cost of developing the RandL drivers’ database. That’s a whopping $800 million for a VicRoads computer system that never got off the ground.
It is my contention that the current traffic light sequencing creates congestion which in turn causes driver frustration and subsequent fines for speeding and light violations.
Here’s a suggestion…
- Let’s use traffic camera revenue to improve traffic light sequencing with the aim of improving traffic flow.
Pet hates
- Traffic light sequences that stop cars at consecutive lights on a main road.
- Waiting at a red light on a main road where no cars are using the green light on the side / private road.
- Waiting at right turn arrows when there are no oncoming cars.
Ideas
- Road senses to detect cars on side / private roads to only activate a light when cars are waiting on every other sequence.
- Light sequences change according to the time of day.. Peak, school, direction (north, south, east, west)
- Give priority to the main arterial road at all times. Longer access for the main road.
- Fines for drivers that block intersections. If cameras can snap cars going through red lights, then stationary should be a doddle.
Aim
- Improved traffic flow
- Less driver frustration