Minutes of Local Traffic Committee Meeting

BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL

Local Traffic Committee Meeting Minutes 12 December 2023

MINUTES of the Local Traffic Committee Meeting held on Tuesday, 12 December 2023

File No: I2023/1964

PRESENT:

Councillor:	Cr M Lyon	Zoom
Transport for NSW:	Alexie Miller	Zoom
NSW Police:	Detective Chief Inspector Matt Kehoe	In Person
MP:	Audrey Warren on behalf of Tamara Smith MP	Apology
Staff:	Judd Cornwall (Traffic Engineer)	In Person
	James Flockton (Infrastructure Planning Coordinator)	In Person
	Samuel Frumpui (Manager Works)	Zoom
	Gray Blunden (Development Engineer)	Zoom

Apologies:

Audrey Warren on behalf of Tamara Smith MP

Declarations of Interest

There were no declarations of interest raised. or

Adoption of Minutes from Previous Meetings

Committee Recommendation:

That the minutes of the Local Traffic Committee Meeting held on 21 November 2023 be confirmed. (Miller/Kehoe)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried.

Matters Arising

N/A

Outstanding Issues/Resolutions

N/A

Regulatory Matters

Report No. 6.1 McGettigans Ln/Ewingsdale Dr - Intersection Safety Improvements

File No: I2023/1542

Background

The subject intersection has had numerous complaints regarding sight distance and pedestrian safety. The diagram below outlines the current issues expressed by the community (Ewingsdale Community Association) these issues have also been validated on-site.

Figure 1: Safety Issues

From an operational perspective, modelling has indicated that the right-turn movement from the minor leg (Mcgettigans Lane) is at/overcapacity (please refer to table 1). The afternoon peak encounters downstream issues stemming from the Hospital intersection and M1 interchange, posing additional safety concerns with vehicles queued across the intersection.

Furthermore, it has been observed that individuals are hesitant to use the seagull-type exit merge on Ewingsdale Road. Drivers were observed to avoid the seagull acceleration lane when turning right from McGettigans Lane, opting to either stop and wait in the middle or execute the turn in a single manoeuvre.

Table 1: Sidra output (2023AM) best case (McGettigans Lane leg only)

Vehicle Movement Performance
Mov ID	Turn	Mov Class	Demand Flows		Arrival Flows		Deg. Satn	Aver. Delay	Level of Service	95% Back Of Queue		Prop. Que	Eff. Stop Rate	Aver. No. of Cycles	Aver. Speed
Mov ID	Turn	Mov Class	[ Total	HV ]	[ Total	HV ]	Deg. Satn	Aver. Delay	Level of Service	[ Veh.	Dist ]	Prop. Que	Eff. Stop Rate	Aver. No. of Cycles	Aver. Speed
			veh/h	%	veh/h	%	v/c	sec		veh	m				km/h
South: Mcgattigans Ln
1	L2	All MCs	93	2.3	93	2.3	0.163	10.4	LOS B	0.6	4.0	0.61	0.83	0.61	49.4
3	R2	All MCs	113	2.8	113	2.8	1.035	143.8	LOS F	7.4	53.4	1.00	1.66	4.02	18.2
Approach			205	2.6	205	2.6	1.035	83.6	LOS F	7.4	53.4	0.82	1.29	2.48	25.5

An investigation into the most recent 10 years of crash data (refer to figure 2 and table 2) has revealed that there is no common specific crash type at the subject intersection. However, considering the reported near-miss incidents and the potential for serious injury or death in the event of a through-right type crash resulting from the previously mentioned issues, Council staff are currently exploring short-term, low-cost interim treatments to enhance safety at the intersection. It is worth noting that State planning investigations are currently underway for the ultimate upgrade of Ewingsdale Rd, likely encompassing improvements at intersections throughout the corridor.

Figure 2: Crash diagram (10-year crash data)

Table 2: Summarised 10-year Crash Data (McGettigans Ln/Ewingsdale Rd)

Reporting year	Degree of crash	RUM - code	RUM
2016	Moderate Injury	10	Cross traffic
2018	Serious Injury	30	Rear end
2020	Moderate Injury	71	Off rd left => obj
2021	Moderate Injury	74	On road-out of cont.
2023	Minor/Other Injury	30	Rear end

Purpose

The purpose of this report is to gain endorsement “in principle” for the upgrade treatments shown in figure 3, contained within this report (below).

Figure 3: Ewingsdale Rd / McGettigans Ln Upgrade Concept

Committee Comments

N/A

Management Comments

N/A

Committee Recommendation:

That the Local Traffic Committee support the interim safety improvement treatments proposed at the intersection of Ewingsdale Road / McGettigans Lane. (Kehoe/Miller)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried.

Report No. 6.2 Potential Pay Parking Scheme - Brunswick Heads

File No: I2023/1947

Background

Council is potentially looking at introducing a pay parking scheme based on the outcomes from a recent study undertaken at Brunswick Heads (attachment 1).

The purpose of this report is to gain endorsement for the pay parking scheme in principle based on the information and recommendations contained within attachment 1. It does not consider the machines or other regulatory devices at this time, these items will be reported to LTC at a later date should the scheme be endorsed at Council.

Report

The purpose of the recent review was to assess the outcomes resulting from the implementation of parking improvements based on recommendations from earlier parking studies for Brunswick Heads. These improvements involved modifications to the timed restrictions aimed at encouraging better parking turnover and providing more people with the opportunity to enjoy and conduct business in the town.

Please refer to Figure 1 which shows the current restrictions previously recommended.

Figure 1: Current parking restrictions within Brunswick Heads

Parking assessment findings

Following an investigation of previous parking survey data and results from the validation parking surveys undertaken within this review there was found to be no significant improvement to occupancy from an overstay and turnover perspective. A detailed explanation of these findings can be found within part 4. Current Parking Situation, of the attached report (attachment 1).

One of the main takeaways from the study was that during this low season, considering weather conditions etc. the centre of town is still reaching a trigger point for further intervention (72% occupancy) when considering growth (Please refer to figure 2).

On the day of the surveys which produced figure 2 (below) the weather was generally poor, from a beachgoing perspective. This indicates that from a base background parking demand point of view, under poor weather and weekday conditions Brunswick is still approaching capacity in the commercial precinct without the tourist overlay.

Figure 2: Weekday Parking occupancy (low season)

Parking surveys were also undertaken during the peak season (October, fine weather), which indicated that the weekday parking demand within the centre of town reached 77% occupancy, with the foreshore reaching around 60% occupancy. It is worth noting that it is hard to give a true indication of occupancy given that some areas are not maximised to the full potential due to un-formalised and underutilised kerb space. A detailed breakdown of this assessment can be found within attachment 1 contained within this report in section 4.4.2. The figure below (figure 3) shows the peak demand for the weekday, high season.

Figure 3: Weekday peak parking occupancy (High season)

The weekend peak parking demand as expected reaches capacity at the peak in town (85% occupancy) during the low and high periods.

The high season weekend peak period for the high season is well over capacity (please refer to figure 4).

Figure 4: Weekend peak, high season parking occupancy

Forecasted parking demand

The anticipated parking demand is determined by various growth factors outlined in the attached report (Attachment 1, Part 5, Future Parking Demand).

This assessment suggests that in the short term, the growth analysis indicates an increase in demand for the core Brunswick center, rising from 72% weekday occupancy to 81% by 2028 (please refer to Figure 5).

Additionally, it is anticipated that the projected peak parking demands in the foreshore parking area could surpass the current available parking supply by approximately 20% to 50% from 2028 to 2038.Figure 5: 2028 forecasted parking demand

Summary

Parking demands in the town center, even during the low season, have reached a point where an update to the parking management regime needs to be considered in the short term.

Reducing time limits is an option, but it would be too restrictive and would require significant enforcement to ensure compliance. Additional formalised parking (surfacing, signs/lines) would help increase supply but would come at a substantial cost, given that much of the kerbside within Brunswick is unsealed.

Following the consultants' review, they have concluded that the implementation of pay parking would be the most effective way to achieve improved parking outcomes.

Therefore, several options were analysed to determine which paid parking scenario would best enhance parking efficiency throughout the township (please refer to Attachment 1, Part 7, Pay Parking Assessment for further details).

A summary of the different parking scenarios is presented below (Table 2: Pay parking options and evaluation).

Table 2: Pay parking options and evaluation

Scenario Tested

Advantages

Disadvantages

Scenario 1: $3/hr with resident permit exemption

▪ Consistent pay parking regime with Byron Bay, with provision of resident permit exemption and allows for consistent messaging

▪ Generates an estimated $1.81 million in revenue per annum

▪ Allows for potential staggered rollout of pay parking across the Brunswick Heads area to manage costs and monitor any overflow impacts
▪ Provides parking choice with more free parking options (than Scenario 4)

▪ Level of parking users with permit exemption may mean pay parking
regime may not be as effective in improving parking turnover and
availability (compared with Scenario 2-3)

▪ Mixture of time limits could see potential confusion by users who may
incorrectly pay for 2 hours of parking but are parked in 1P location

▪ Could result in overflow parking impacts especially in beachside areas
and availability of parking for beach users

Scenario 2: First 1-hour
free parking with fees
thereafter, no resident
permit exemption

▪ Generates estimated at $1.83 million per annum

▪ Without permit exemption would likely see higher levels of parking turnover which would support improved availability

▪ Adopts a potentially fairer system of ‘user-pays’ whereby all motorists pay
directly for their use of parking facilities regardless of whether they are a local
or visitor

▪ Would incur additional implementation costs with signage changes to apply simplified 2P or 4P parking restrictions by removing 1/2P, 1P parking areas

▪ Potential back-lash from locals/residents based on a perception that he pay parking regime differs from that of Byron Bay

▪ Without permit exemption may result in increased level of overflow
parking impacts to surrounding residential areas and the foreshore
precinct

Scenario 3: First 30
minutes free parking with
fees thereafter, no permit
exemption.

▪ Generates higher revenue compared with Scenario 1 and 2 in the order of
$2M per annum

▪ Would result in highest levels of parking turnover of all options

Scenario 4: Scenario 1 fees with expanded pay parking area

▪ Consistent pay parking regime with Byron Bay with provision resident permit exemption and inclusion of popular foreshore parking

▪ Ensures beachfront parking areas are not impacted by overflow parking from the centre and non-beach users. Helps manage vehicle ‘camping’ issues

▪ Generates an estimated $3.1 million in revenue per annum

▪ Higher initial capital cost for implementation

▪ Beachfront parking demand can fluctuate based on weather and
season so ‘threshold trigger for pay parking less backed by study data

▪ Potential back-lash from beach users and visitors, though other
popular Byron Shire already has pay parking

Scenario 5: Peak season pay parking only

▪ Generates an estimate $1 million in revenue per annum

▪ Parking charges applied generally only when demands at their highest and when all parking areas

▪ Reduced return on investment from parking infrastructure

▪ Increased costs and administration requirements for bagging /covering of parking meters and regulatory parking signage changes

▪ Mixed regime may create confusion for parking users

Scenario 6: Seasonal parking pricing

▪ Estimated to generate $1.3 million in revenue per annum

▪ Provides for more ‘demand responsive’ parking regime to reflect seasonality of demands

▪ Mixed regime may create confusion for parking users

▪ Minor administration and communication costs for mixed fee regime

Based on the results of the pay parking assessment and workshop discussions (Councillor Workshop on 2 November 2023), the consultant has recommended that Scenario 1 or Scenario 4 be the preferred options to progress the implementation of pay parking in Brunswick Heads. While Scenario 2 or 3 would likely achieve more optimal parking management outcomes for turnover and availability, there is a need to consider the local context, given:

· The growing parking pressures in the centre are a result of increasing tourists and visitor demands in Brunswick Heads.

· Nearby in Byron Bay, pay parking has been implemented with a resident permit exemption and other permit provisions for workers.

· Across other benchmarking examples, some form of resident permit is provided (for a fee).

Council staff support the consultant’s recommendation, particularly regarding the lower hourly parking rate, which will lessen the impact of a reduction in visitation. Staff believe that the 4B boundary option would be the best scenario, as the 4A staged approach (town then foreshore after 2 years) would be unpredictable and likely have a significant impact on the foreshore in terms of nuisance camping and all-day parking (please refer to figures 6 and 7 for the Option 4 pay parking boundary). This option would not alter the current time limit restrictions within Brunswick Heads.

Figure 6: Recommended parking regime boundary (no change to current parking time restrictions)

Figure 7: Parking meter location (preferred parking regime)

Committee Comments

N/A

Management Comments

It is only endorsing scheme, hours to be confirmed.

Committee Recommendation:

That the Local Traffic Committee: -

1. Endorse the proposed of Brunswick Heads pay parking regime in principle (only) as scenario 4 (extended boundary) contained within this report.

2. Note that the implementation of this regime is still subject to Council approval.

(Kehoe/Lyon)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried.

Report No. 6.3 Somerset Street, Byron Bay - Permit Holder Exception

File No: I2023/1948

The purpose of this report is to gain Local Traffic Committee endorsement for the change to the existing No Parking 1am – 6am signs to include an exception for our current resident parking area permit holders (refer to figure 1). This is to allow resident to park in their street overnight while still mitigating nuisance camping.

Figure 1: Permit holder excepted locality map/plan

Committee Comments

N/A

Management Comments

N/A

Committee Recommendation:

That the Local Traffic Committee endorse the permit holder exception for the current “No Parking” area on the northern side of Somerset Street, Byron Bay (between Butler Street and Wordsworth Street). (Lyon/Kehoe)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried.

Matters for Traffic Engineering Advice

Report No. 7.1 Jubilee Avenue, School Traffic Operations - Potential Improvements

File No: I2023/1867

Background

Numerous stakeholders have approached Council staff regarding traffic safety concerns adjacent or related to Mullumbimby High School.

These issues are generally only experienced during the school peak periods (7:30 – 9:00am and 2:30 – 4pm) and any improvements will be spread across three different landholders/custodians (Council, NSW Department of Education and the Mullumbimby Co Op/Service Station).

Figure 1: Locality map landowners

Issues

Bus turn-around facility (refer to figure 2)

· Multiple access points to the Co-op that cross conflict points with no delineation.

· High speed exits at bus turn around facility for co-op access.

· Poor sight lines when exiting the facility

Figure 2: Issues diagram

Pedestrian Crossing (Mullumbimby High School)

Figure 3: Pedestrian crossing, Jubilee Ave, Mullumbimby, adjacent Mullumbimby High School

· Sight distance issues from median/pedestrian fencing,

· Pedestrians are crossing three lanes of traffic,

· Driver behavioural issues at the crossing due to extended queueing during school peaks (kids are not platooned),

· School bus, drop off islands creating significant accessibility issues for kids getting on and off the bus,

Figure 4: Issues diagram un-supervised school pedestrian crossing

Figure 5: School day pedestrian crossing volume data (15 minute intervals)

Purpose

The purpose of this report is to present possible safety improvement treatments (short term) for the issues on Jubilee Avenue, Mullumbimby (outlined above) and gain support for further investigation should the treatments be found to be appropriate.

Please see concepts below for comment and consideration.

Figure 6: Mullumbimby High pedestrian crossing

Figure 7: School bus turnaround

Stakeholder Engagement

Council have been talking with the Department of Education (including the principal of the High School) regarding concept development for the treatment of the issues contained within this report. However, funding and resourcing has been hard to achieve.

Council has recently (23/11/2023) met with the Police and the Co Op to discuss these issues on-site. It has been recommended by the Police that we bring these concerns to the Local traffic committee for discussion.

There have been numerous discussions with Transport for New South Wales who are currently assisting with potential avenues for funding.

Committee Comments

N/A

Management Comments

N/A

Committee Recommendation:

That the Local Traffic Committee endorse the safety upgrade treatments for the School Bus Turnaround and the Pedestrian Crossing adjacent to the Mullumbimby High School (figures 6 and 7) in principle for further discussions with the Dept of Education. (Kehoe/Miller)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried.

There being no further business the meeting concluded at 11:15 am

Venue	Conference Room, Station Street, Mullumbimby
Date	Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Time	10.30am