Good Morning Fellow Residents, Shop Patrons and Petition Supporters

I am disappointed to advise that RMS have ignored and not even acknowledged my email to them from the 17th September 2020.

I just sent them this email

Good Morning RMS Project Team

I refer to my email of the 15th September 2020 and I am disappointed (but not surprised) that I have not yet received a reply.

However, I am shocked that I have not even received an acknowledgement of my email.

You have ignored all submissions and requests of the local Business Owners and Residents to retain the Right Turn In and Out Lanes at Dorrigo Ave and Hoxton Park road and now you refuse to provide answers to some simple questions.

Can you please do the following

1) Acknowledge receipt of my emails

2) Provide and Update of the current status of the Project

3) Provide answers to my questions

 

This is  the email sent to RMS on the 15th September 2020

Good Afternoon RMS Project Manager

I am writing to you on behalf of the Community in the Hoxton Park Area regarding the Intersection at Hoxton Park Road and Dorrigo Ave Hoxton Park.

After sending in numerous submissions and a Community Letter with over 500 signatures to you during the initial submission period we found that all our requests had been denied.

Since then Mr Paul Lynch MP for Liverpool and Ms Anne Stanley MP for Werriwa and  Liverpool Council have also emailed you it seems to no avail.

 

In addition I have emailed the Minister for Transport and received 2 further responses one from Elani Petinos and the other from Terry McSweeney.

 

In addition I have then organised a Petition with 1200 signatures requesting that the right turn Lanes be retained which was lodged to Parliament by Mr Paul Lynch.

I have attached a copy of my letter  to the Minister for transport in response to his letter to the Petition.

 

Perhaps you may be able to shed some light on the issues raised Therein.

I have also attached a PDF copy of comments from our Online Petition supporters.

Since the issue of Safety has been raised in ALL the three letters can I ask about the number of accidents at the Intersection?
How many accidents have taken place at the intersection of Hoxton Park Road and Dorrigo Ave in the last:-
a) One (1) year
b) Three (3) years
c) Five (5) years
for you and your department to deem it unsafe for traffic to cross at the intersection when it is widened to include three lanes?

 

Other points that we have raised and which all appear to have been ignored by RMS are the following:-
1) There will only be two(2) lanes of Traffic and a Bus lane (weather that is Centre running or Kerbside, has the fact that buses or battery operated, driverless, trackless tram will only run at limited intervals of say every 15 to 30 minutes been taken into account?

 

2) Has the regular break in traffic caused by the traffic lights at First Ave been taken into account?

 

3) Has the current 40 KPH School zone from before First Ave until in front of the Scout Hall, which is just before the Shops, heading west, been taken into account?

 

4) Has the construction of St Joseph’s trade school which is currently under construction on the Northern side of Hoxton Park Road been taken into account? The reason being is that surely it would warrant the extension of the 40 KPH school zone to start and end up near Glen Innes Road Lights which would have an impact on traffic speed in front of Hoxton Park Shops and the intersection of Dorrigo Ave and Hoxton Park Road.

 

5) Has it been noted that the business owners and local residents do not oppose the proposed kerbside bus lanes by RMS (on the basis that the right turn in and out lanes are retained)?

 

6) Has it been noted that there are numerous intersections along the Hume Highway and Elizabeth Drive in Liverpool where traffic turns right across three lanes of traffic which is travelling at up to 70KPH and does so without incident? Will you be closing those intersections down for “Safety” reasons now that RMS is setting a precedent at Hoxton Park road and Dorrigo Ave intersection?

 

It has been stated numerous times that Transport for NSW is committed to working closely with (Liverpool) Council to find the best transport solutions for the people of Liverpool and that Transport for NSW will consult and work with the community and with the Council about the roads development and to find the “Best” Transport solutions for the community.

I can only hope that You will work with the community as has been promised and will take into account the wishes of the community regarding this matter, something which has not been evidenced to date.

I look forward to your reply

Yours Sincerely

 

 

 

 

This is the letter sent to the Minister for Transport and Roads

 

 

11th September 2020

Mr Andrew Constance MP

Minister for Transport and Roads

Parliament House

Macquarie Street,

Sydney 2000

 

 

Good Morning Mr Constance

 

Re: Hoxton Park Road and Dorrigo Avenue intersection, Hoxton Park

 

I refer to the following correspondence received regarding this issue which all essentially provide the same cut and paste answers.

 

From Elani Petinos Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Roads to Paul Lynch dated the 4th August 2020 Ref 01070881

From Terry McSweeney Principal Manager Ministerial Correspondence to myself dated the 24th August 2020 Ref 01084846

 

And from Andrew Constance Minister for Transport and Roads to Paul Lynch in response to a Paper Petition of over 1200 residents dated 2nd September 2020 Ref 01100360

All three letters claim in essence “that a right-in and right-out for Dorrigo Avenue would require drivers to cross three lanes of traffic travelling at up to 70 kph.” Which seems to be the primary reason for the closure of the intersection.

 

And the secondary reason given is that traffic movements are too low to warrant a signalised

Intersection and that more traffic congestion on Hoxton Park Road may result if traffic lights were installed.

 

The one reason not quoted is the push by Liverpool City Council to have centre running Bus lanes rather than the Kerbside Bus lanes proposed by RMS which would also impact on the right turn in and out lanes.

 

Since the issue of Safety has been raised in ALL the three letters can I ask about the number of accidents at the Intersection?

How many accidents have taken place at the intersection of Hoxton Park Road and Dorrigo Ave in the last:-

a)      One (1) year

b)      Three (3) years

c)       Five (5) years

for you and your department to deem it unsafe for traffic to cross at the intersection when it is widened to include three lanes?

Other points that we have raised and which all appear to have been ignored by RMS are the following:-

1)      There will only be two(2) lanes of Traffic and a Bus lane (weather that is Centre running or Kerbside, has the fact that buses or battery operated, driverless, trackless tram will only run at limited intervals of say every 15 to 30 minutes been taken into account?

2)      Has the regular break in traffic caused by the traffic lights at First Ave been taken into account?

3)      Has the current 40 KPH School zone from before First Ave until in front of the Scout Hall, which is just before the Shops, heading west, been taken into account?

4)      Has the construction of St Joseph’s trade school which is currently under construction on the Northern side of Hoxton Park Road been taken into account?  The reason being is that surely it would warrant the extension of the 40 KPH school zone to start and end up near Glen Innes Road Lights which would have an impact on traffic speed in front of Hoxton Park Shops and the intersection of Dorrigo Ave and Hoxton Park Road.

5)      Has it been noted that the business owners and local residents do not oppose the proposed kerbside bus lanes by RMS (on the basis that the right turn in and out lanes are retained)?

6)      Has it been noted that there are numerous intersections along the Hume Highway and Elizabeth Drive in Liverpool where traffic turns right across three lanes of traffic which is travelling at up to 70KPH and does so without incident? Will you be closing those intersections down for “Safety” reason now that RMS is setting a precedent at Hoxton Park road and Dorrigo Ave intersection?

 

Everyone has stated that Transport for NSW is committed to working closely with (Liverpool) Council to find the best transport solutions for the people of Liverpool and that Transport for NSW will consult and work with the community and with the Council about the roads development and to find the “Best” Transport solutions for the community.

Let me say that based on my experience over the last year or so that this is completely not true.

Transport for NSW may be working with Liverpool Council BUT they have completely ignored the requests of the community to date.

 

Our Requests, Submissions and Petition have been completely dismissed and have fallen on Deaf ears.

I look forward to a reply to the above questions

 

Yours Sincerely

 

 

Lets hope that they might reply this time

 

All the very best

 

 

Michael Andjelkovic JP

Independent Community Campaigner for Liverpool

Diploma of Building and Construction