Cook Shire Council has completed a further review of the recently installed traffic calming device at the Ida Street and May Street intersection, informed by community feedback, operational experience and relevant traffic management guidance.
The original decision to install traffic calming measures at this location was driven by community concerns about pedestrian safety, particularly for children travelling to and from the nearby schools and facilities. Council undertook an extensive safety assessment and it was identified that vehicles were not driving safely nor to the speed limit. As the intersection feeds directly into the school zone, this created significant safety risks for pedestrians.
As part of Council’s ongoing responsibility to monitor and manage risk, a further review has been undertaken following community feedback after the devices were installed. This review has determined that the device installed at Ida Street is more suitable for lower-speed environments (generally 30km/h or below). Furthermore, their use on a 50km/h local road has introduced safety, noise and operational considerations that now outweigh the intended traffic calming benefit at this specific location.
Accordingly, and as a precautionary risk management measure, Council will remove the traffic calming device from Ida Street.
As Council remains committed to improving road safety, it will now consider more appropriate traffic management options for Ida Street that better align with the road environment, surrounding land use and safety objectives.
Traffic calming measures at Webber Esplanade near the Splash Park will remain in place and continue to be monitored. These devices were installed following a community petition and speed monitoring that identified unacceptable vehicle speeds in a low-speed environment used heavily by children.
Council thanks residents for their constructive feedback and patience. Acting on community concerns, monitoring outcomes and adjusting where necessary are all part of Council’s commitment to delivering safe, well-considered solutions.