A SECOND lane is the only option to help feed traffic into the Hereford Street sporting complex without causing further congestion, councillor Alex Christian says.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On February 3, Bathurst Regional Council resolved to proceed with land acquisition to allow for a roundabout to be constructed at the intersection of Hereford Street and Edgells Lane.
Although all councillors voted in support, Cr Christian said he did it in the hope that land could be used for an alternative measure.
"I voted to acquire additional land in the hopes we can add an additional lane heading out to Kelso with the implementation of a left turn lane on Gilmour Street if the road is widened on the church side," he said.
Hereford Street is known for being prone to congestion at peak times, as a result of the growing number of residents who reside in the new Kelso estates and use that road for their morning and afternoon commutes.
Cr Christian believes a roundabout will make the problem worse.
"I don't support the installation of a roundabout at the proposed location on Hereford Street," he said.
"The ratepayers that use this road every morning and afternoon suffer with congestion enough as it is without slapping a big roundabout in the middle of it.
"This roundabout is being considered by council because of the car park located at the football grounds. People coming and going from those facilities do so late in the afternoon for training a few times a week and on weekends, very rarely or never at peak times. There's no need for it.
"Once you apply the common sense test, it doesn't stack up."
He is not the only councillor to raise concerns.
Cr Warren Aubin said "there's more positives to it than negatives", but he still has concerns about what will happen with congestion.
"It's done for a safety point of view. It was planned by the engineering staff and you've got to guess they know what they're doing," he said.
"I just hope it doesn't impact on traffic flow on Hereford Street."
