Report hits City for six over traffic

Andrew Mathieson
A PEAK community body has set a deadline of December, 2011, to fix Ocean Grove’s six worst traffic spots.
Ocean Grove and District Community Association has proposed a traffic strategy to alleviate snarls and blackspots on busy roads.
The association will send its report to City of Greater Geelong and Vicroads today following a community traffic forum last month.
Both public authorities are in charge of some of the roads.
Community association members will receive copies of the final report by Monday.
Association president Michael Harbour said Ocean Grove was still struggling to cope with 13 of 16 trouble spots identified in a structure plan 14 years ago.
The community association used the City’s “inaction” to support its strategy.
“Many of things we are saying now from the community forum were identified as recommendations when the strategy came out in 1993,” Mr Harbour said.
The most prevalent traffic nightmares included problems on Grubb Road, Orton Street and The Parade.
The association had presented a petition with more than 1600 signatures to Ocean Grove councillor Jan Farrell to fix the town’s traffic problems more than two years ago, he said.
Some Ocean Grove residents had also told the traffic forum they planned to blockade one lane of The Parade this summer to stop further traffic chaos.
Mr Harbour hoped the City and Vicroads would meet the community association to put a proposal to fix the popular beach road in particular and to prevent the protest.
“But that might still happen,” he said.
“That’s their (protesters’) prerogative because they live there.”
Plans for a public rally to make a point to Geelong’s council had been put on hold pending further talks, Mr Harbour said.