What we do to manage traffic
Being centrally located in a city of 4.4 million people means traffic will always be a reality for Yarra residents. We are doing our bit to help by delivering infrastructure to help make Yarra’s local streets safer.
Much of our traffic is generated by motorists travelling through Yarra to access other parts of the city, and by the thousands of people who come to Yarra every day to work, dine, socialise, and shop.
We can not get rid of traffic, but there are a number of ways we can reduce its impact, including advocating for better public transport and for improvements to major busy roads.
How we do road safety
We deliver infrastructure to help make Yarra’s streets safer through:
- investigating community road safety concerns
- delivering larger scale programs such as Road Safety Studies or Local Area Place Making studies
- applying for and delivering road safety infrastructure via Federal and State road safety programs
- delivering actions from Council’s Safe Travel Strategy 2016-26.
How do I report a road safety issue in my neighbourhood?
Any concerns you may have regarding traffic or road safety within Yarra should be reported to our Traffic Unit.
Report a Traffic and Road Safety Issue
What happens next?
We will undertake an objective and evidence based investigation into your concerns. If there is not an immediate safety issue, officers will may refer this issue for further investigation during one of our strategic road safety programs (i.e. Road Safety Studies) or to the relevant team within Council.
If we do identify a potential safety issue, we will consider the appropriate course of action to address the issue.
What are Road Safety Studies?
Road Safety Studies are a new initiative we are exploring that focus on identified road safety issues within precincts, along corridors or at sites (i.e. intersections or outside a school or a rail station).
We are planning to deliver two Road Safety Studies during 2021/22.
Further information will be available once these studies commence.
What we try to achieve
Where appropriate these studies might look at:
- minimising conflict between the different modes of transport, with higher priority given to vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists without compromising the functional role of streets
- reducing vehicle speeds in locations where there is interaction between vehicles and vulnerable road users
- making it safer to cross streets and seek to remove barriers to accessibility
- implementing other Council priorities relating to tree planting and greenery and sustainable management of water if there is an opportunity as part of the delivery of works.
What can be done
Traffic Management comes in many forms.
Common treatments in Yarra include:
- speed reduction treatments such as road humps, threshold treatments and raised intersections
- treatments that promote walking and cycling such as wombat crossings (i.e. wide road humps with a pedestrian crossing on top), zebra crossings, bicycle lanes and bicycle symbols.
Although perhaps less well known, the following traffic treatments are becoming increasingly popular with residents:
- Centre of road street-trees.
- Shared Zones (sections of streets which legally provide priority to pedestrians).
- Painted streets.
Improvements to safety and residential amenity achievable through well planned traffic calming are sometimes required to be traded off against a potential level of inconvenience for local communities.
Traffic treatments which seek to reduce through-traffic, vehicle speeds and crashes may result in increased journey times for local road users and in some cases require the removal of on-street parking spaces.
Likewise, the overall noise and emissions benefits resulting from a reduction in traffic using a street may be offset to some extent by noise associated with some traffic treatments.
Does Council have a Road Safety Study Policy?
Yes. On 5 October 2021 Council adopted the Road Safety Policy 2021 for the purpose of undertaking two initial Road Safety Studies (including this first study on Trenerry Crescent corridor) to assist with the goals of Yarra's Road Safety Strategy 2016-2026.
Council has instructed officers to review its implementation to ensure we capture what is working well and identify where any improvements could further improve this approach.
Read the Road Safety Study Policy 2021
What about Local Area Place Making (LAPM)?
We are currently exploring different approaches to determine how best we can do place making planning with the community (things like, broader streetscapes, greenery, street furniture and lighting for example) and how the community can best be involved in the range of approaches we currently provide that have a direct focus on place making.
Council is committed to the delivery of committed projects from previous LAPM schemes.
Current Local Area Place Making studies
Treatments from these recent LAPM study locations are being delivered via a staged approach:
| Local Area Place Making Precinct | Suburb |
| LAPM 1: Princes Hill | Princes Hill |
| LAPM 2: Carlton North | Carlton North |
| LAPM 3: Scotchmer | North Fitzroy |
| LAPM 4: North Fitzroy | North Fitzroy |
| LAPM 9: Rose Precinct | Fitzroy |
| LAPM 13: Abbotsford | Abbotsford |
| LAPM 19: Bendigo | Richmond |
Completed Local Area Place Making studies
Further information on completed LAPM studies where infrastructure has been fully delivered:
| Local Area Place Making Precinct | Suburb |
| LAPM 5: West Clifton Hill | Clifton Hill |
| LAPM 6: East Clifton Hill | Clifton Hill |
| LAPM 7: Coate | Fairfield |
| LAPM 8: Alphington | Alphington |
| LAPM 10: Gold | Collingwood |
| LAPM 11: Fitzroy | Fitzroy |
| LAPM 12: Collingwood | Collingwood |
| LAPM 14: North Richmond | Richmond |
| LAPM 15: Highett | Richmond |
| LAPM 16: Victoria | Richmond |
| LAPM 17: Richmond | Richmond |
| LAPM 18: Coppin | Richmond |
| LAPM 20: Balmain | Cremorne |
| LAPM 21: Barkley | Burnley |