The Manly Community Forum Darley Road subcommittee recently met with Northern Beaches Council staff to discuss updates on Darley Road’s reinstatement and enhancements, aiming to establish the Darley Road Gateway to North Head Sanctuary in the long run. The Council has finally adopted the My Place: Manly plan with some amendments, which involve acknowledging Darley Road as a vital gateway and intersection, and integrating proposed active transport connections from the 2020 Northern Beaches Bike and Walk Plans. Since last year’s trashing of Darley Road by AusGrid, Jemena and Sydney Water, Darley Road and surrounding streets they have never looked worse. Discussions in the meetings again focused on addressing various concerns, such as:

• Increased and constant speeding of very noisy trucks, e bikes and cars across the entire Eastern Hill area. There is confusion about speed limits and signage. NO ONE is sticking to the speed limits.
• The bike path is currently non-existent in parts and difficult to identify and follow in other parts, with stops and starts, on and off the footpath, all which presents risks to riders, pedestrians and drivers. Increasing number E-bike riders also speeding.
• Commercial vehicles including private delivery contractors, garbage trucks, especially the NBC public bin collection trucks which commence their collections at 4am, speed throughout the area as well as up and down Darley Road with impunity.
• Darley Road from Victoria Ave is a shocking mess: paved footpaths poorly patched, poor and inadequate drainage, potholes and loose gravel all over the place, blocked stormwater drains, broken safety treads leading onto the pedestrian crossing, faded line markings, bent sign posts and sign posts with no signs.

Council now has plans ready for community comment for a new four sided pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Ashburner Street and Darley Road. This will assist with slowing the traffic coming down Darely Rd as well as improving pedestrian safety at the intersection. Signage will be improved, and the one way exit into Darley Road on the eastern side of Ashburner St will be more obvious, hopefully reducing the number of cars turning east into Ashburner Street against the One Way sign.

Council has also completed the traffic study on the Eastern Hill and will now look to consulting the community on their plan to implement a consistent speed limit of 30kph across the entire Eastern Hill. Also up for consideration is a consistent speed limit on Darley Road from Bluefish Rd to the Corso. Currently there are several speed limits, 50kph, 40kph (two school zones) and 30kph from Ashburner St to the Corso. Traffic calming devices are also being considered for Darley Rd, which will include renewing, and possibly moving, the centre line marking as well as the bike lane marking.

Repaving of the footpaths and road from Ashburner St to Wentworth St will also commence soon, incorporating some landscaping which has been discussed with the immediate neighbours.

Council will also initiate a Darley Road Stakeholder working group, with meetings quarterly, to discuss Council, residents and stakeholder initiatives, their impacts, positive and negative, and ultimately create a Masterplan. Inviting ICMS, St Pauls College, Property NSW (former Manly Hospital site), Youth Hospice, NP&Ws, Sydney Water and SHFT to participate.