New plan proposes cut to CBD speed limit

A proposed new planning blue-print aimed at encouraging Orange residents to get out of their cars more often and instead walk, ride a bike or catch a bus, is up for community discussion.

City of Orange Traffic Committee chair, Cr Russell Turner believes the proposed changes are worth exploring in the interests of community health and reducing traffic congestion.

“There’s a lot of evidence which points to the potential health problems when people drive to work, sit at a desk all day, drive home again and then sit on the couch,” Cr Russell Turner said.

“Less children too are riding a bike to school and are instead being driven or catching a bus. This study has pointed to a string of obstacles in Orange that stop both adults and children riding a bike or walking more often.”

“Some of the plan’s proposed solutions might be controversial, but I’m confident that it’s a step in the right direction if its gets Orange residents travelling and living more actively.”

SPEED LIMIT PROPOSAL : City of Orange Traffic Committee chair, Cr Russell Turner wants to see community discussion about a plan to introduce a new lower speed limit in the Orange CBD.

The Active Travel Plan (ATP) finds that around 11,600 people are travelling between 2 and 5 kms to work each day in Orange, mostly by car.

The key directions of the Active Travel Plan are about making a number of main north-south and east-west routes in Orange much more bike-friendly, as well as making the CBD safer for riders and pedestrians.

Among a raft of measures the Active Travel Plan includes proposals to :

• Cut the speed limit in Orange’s CBD from 50 to 40 kms/hour.
• Narrow the width of car lanes in a number of key Orange streets and position new bike lanes on either side of the road.
• Adopt a range of other planning principles aimed at making Orange even more bike-friendly

The ATP suggests adopting a range of umbrella strategies that are part of the NSW Premier’s Council for Active Living guidelines.

These guidelines which among the rationale for the recent switch by Sydney’s CBD from 50 to 40 km/hour.

“These measures are worth considering. If Orange was able to increase its percentage of commuters who ride a bike from 2 percent to 5 percent, it would take 500 cars off the road every day,” Cr Russell Turner said.

Orange City Council has placed the Active Travel Plan exhibition for comment for one month. The plan was drafted by transport consultants after a round of community consultation late last year.

The deadline for community comment is Friday 6 May.

You can have you say by :

• making a formal submission
• filing in an online survey, or
• leaving an online comment