Adelaide considers cutting O’Connell Street speed limit to 40 km/h
The Adelaide City Council may support a proposal to reduce the speed limit on O’Connell Street in North Adelaide from 50 to 40 km/h. North Ward councillor Phillip Martin plans to bring the initiative before the council. He said the proposal was a response to a petition from local residents calling for improved safety on the street.
As ABC News Australia reports, if the initiative is supported, the council will consult the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, which is responsible for approving changes to speed limits. The department said it had not yet received a formal request from the Adelaide City Council to review the limit on O’Connell Street.
Safety and noise
The reduction is being considered as part of a A$25 million O’Connell Street renewal project. It is one of five main streets identified by the council for improvements to public safety and accessibility. According to the council, about 34,000 vehicles use O’Connell Street every day, while more than 200 businesses operate along it.
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Martin said the lower speed should reduce the risk of serious injuries and deaths in road collisions, as well as traffic noise levels. According to the National Road Safety Strategy, the likelihood of a pedestrian dying after being hit by a car travelling at 30 km/h is estimated at 10%, compared with 90% at 50 km/h.
Concerns about congestion
Some local residents and a business representative supported the possible restriction, citing dangerous driving, vehicle noise and the presence of pedestrians, including schoolchildren. At the same time, local resident Simon Goetzenroeder expressed concern that the new limit could cause congestion and force drivers to seek alternative routes.
Charles Mountain, senior manager for safety and infrastructure at the Royal Automobile Association of South Australia, believes the change should be considered because O’Connell Street has changed over the past year. Among those changes, he cited the completion of the A$300 million Eighty-Eight O’Connell mixed-use complex. The council also said it would reduce the limit to 40 km/h along the entire length of Melbourne Street in North Adelaide in the coming weeks.
