The following residents of the ACT draw the attention of the Assembly that: The Molonglo Valley is Canberra's fastest-growing district, with a forecast final population of 70,000 residents. The recent three-week closure of Coppins Crossing has exacerbated existing transport pressures already faced by Molonglo Valley residents.
Residents are facing significant congestion along John Gorton Drive and the Cotter Road, leading to increased commuting times and dangerous rat-running through suburban streets. Buses are competing with cars in these congested roads. This leads to disruptions in public transport journeys, as it limits the speed and reliability of bus services servicing the Molonglo Valley. This congestion will worsen as the district develops. The benefits of the recent bus frequency improvements, as delivered in the latest timetable changes, cannot be fully realised so long as the buses continue to get stuck in the very traffic they are intended to relieve.
Dedicated bus lanes are necessary to ensure public transport is a reliable, genuine option for Molonglo Valley’s current and future residents to get to and from work, school and appointments.
Your petitioners, therefore, request that the Assembly call on the ACT Government to:
- Deliver full-length bus lanes from the John Gorton Drive/Steve Irwin Avenue/Fred Daly Avenue intersection in Coombs and Wright to the Cotter Road/Kirkpatrick Street/Dargie Street intersection at North Weston, and
- Ensure that the future extension of Bindubi Street to Whitlam is delivered with full-length bus lanes from day one, to avoid a repeat of the congestion issues that are hampering the Molonglo Valley’s existing bus routes.