By JOLENE OGLE
MOTORISTS will need to slow down along Eumundi Noosa Road following a decision to decrease the speed limit from 100km/h to 80km/h.
The decision to decrease the speed limit was presented to the infrastructure and services committee on Tuesday 21 July by a representative from the Noosa Traffic Advisory and Speed Management committee.
The committee met on 18 June, and while a number of traffic investigations are still underway, the committee decided to reduce the speed limit.
Mayor Noel Playford said with the volume of traffic on the road it was rare to get up to the top speed of 100km/h and dropping the speed limit to 80km/h would only take commuters an extra 12 seconds.
In the report presented to council, a vote on changing the speed limit to 80km/h was not supported by council representatives.
The report said an initial review of the road’s speed limit by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) and recommendation to reduce the limit was not supported by the committee, with crash data and speed statistics requested.
Crash data was provided, and council staff undertook an investigation of speed statistics gathered from traffic counters.
“This investigation suggested that 90km/h would be appropriate as there was no evidence of speed being a contributing factor to accidents, rather road side vegetation being the primary concern and 90km/h would better reflect existing conditions,” the report said.
But a vote by the committee was in favour of following DTMR’s recommendation and the speed limit will now be reduced to 80km/h and DTMR will change all signage at no cost to council.
A number of investigations are still underway including Segway use on Hastings Street, the speed limit on Black Mountain Range Road, plus the intersection at Mill Street and Summit Road in Pomona.
