At a recent meeting the Manly Community Forum discussed the increasing problems created by speeding traffic at the bottom of Darley Road near the Ashburner Street pedestrian crossing and where the speed limit changes for the school and CBD area. The Forum requested the Council consider reducing the speed limit along Darley Road to 40kph. Some suggested only the trucks needed to reduce their speed and others thought a pedestrian crossing should be installed at Addison Road and Darley Road intersection.

Residents pointed out that conditions on the road had changed substantially over the past 10 years with an increase in traffic ,including buses and trucks, using the road as St Paul College increased their enrolments, along with the ICMS, the school and daycare in the Harbour Trust area and Manly Hospice almost completed, as well as the increased capacity at the North Head Waste Water Treatment Plant resulting in a greater number of sludge truck movements. In addition the popularity of walking and cycling up and down Darley Road to access the new lookouts at North Head has made the road very busy.

National Parks and Wildlife Service are also proposing a pedestrian crossing on Bluefish Drive, from the National Park track into the Trust track as well as other ways to improve pedestrian safety at the intersection of Bluefish Drive, Darley Road and Scenic Drive.

Council has agreed to consider the whole Fairy Bower and Eastern Hill area under the ‘Safe residential speed limit program’ with investigations and traffic studies commencing over the summer peek period. Infrastructure recommendations, such as pedestrian crossings, speed limit and other signage as deemed appropriate, would then be considered for the 23/24 infrastructure program.

The Council Transport Network team will be attending be attending the August meeting to discuss this program.