Traffic issues

Enforcement of speeding, hooning, and other anti-social driving behaviour is the responsibility of Victoria Police. Residents can report these incidents to Victoria Police through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, providing as much detail as possible to help identify offenders and hotspot areas. Victoria Police has the authority to impound vehicles for various offenses, including participating in races, dangerous driving, excessive speeding, and driving while disqualified or suspended.

Traffic congestion is a pressing issue that significantly affects the efficiency and quality of life in cities across the globe. To effectively tackle this challenge, governments must adopt a cohesive strategy that harnesses technology, optimises traffic flow, prioritises alternative modes of transport, and embraces well-managed congestion. It is worth noting that, to some degree, congestion can be accepted if traffic continues to move through areas in coordinated "blocks," while also adopting a responsible approach to traffic safety and road demand.

Road infrastructure elements combine to play a critical role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of our transport network. Council monitors and maintains these elements in accordance with our Road Management Plan, which outlines our commitment to providing a safe and reliable road infrastructure.

Residents are encouraged to report any road-related issues, including:

• Faded or non-functioning line marking
• Damaged or incorrect signage
• Road damage and faults
• Sight distance concerns
• Requests for new line marking and signage, including changes
• General road improvements
• Requests for new street lighting

Once a resident submission is received, it will be carefully reviewed and validated by Council's Traffic Engineers. If the submission pertains to damaged infrastructure or faults, immediate action will be taken to address the issue. For proactive improvements, such as changes to road conditions, they will only be considered once the resident submission has been validated by Council's Traffic Engineers. This ensures that any proposed improvements are based on expert assessment and align with the overall goal of enhancing road safety and efficiency.

In the state of Victoria, Australia, road management responsibilities are divided among different authorities. Here is an overview of these responsibilities in accordance our Road Management Plan:

• Local Roads: Local roads are the responsibility of the respective local Councils. This includes the maintenance and management of local streets and roads within their jurisdiction.
• Higher Order Arterial Roads: The Department of Transport is responsible for the management of higher order arterial roads. However, Councils still have responsibilities for certain aspects related to these roads, including service roads, parking (excluding Clearways), and footpaths.
• Tollways: Tollways, such as Eastlink, are the responsibility of the toll operator, in this case, ConnectEast. They are responsible for the operation, maintenance, and management of these specific roadways.
• Public Transport: The provision of public transport services, including the associated infrastructure, falls under the responsibility of Public Transport Victoria. This includes buses, trains, trams, and other modes of public transportation.

When a resident reports an issue that falls under the responsibility of another authority, they will be directed to that specific authority. Residents are encouraged to submit their request directly to the appropriate authority to streamline the management of the issue, including feedback and necessary actions. However, residents can still choose to submit the request to Council if they believe it is important for Council to be aware of the matter. In such cases, Council's Traffic Engineers will refer the issue to the appropriate authority for resolution. Once a submission has been referred to the appropriate authority, Council will no longer correspond directly with the resident regarding that specific issue.

For more information contact council.

Council takes a balanced approach to the issue of parked cars on either side of driveways, considering the importance of on-street parking as a valuable resource for the local community. While parked cars may impact sight distance when exiting a driveway, it is not practical to restrict parking for every driveway.

Most local roads within Maroondah City Council and across Melbourne are designed in accordance with State Government guidelines, allowing for parking on both sides and providing a clear roadway width of 3 meters for through vehicles, accommodating the passage of one car. Council acknowledges that sight distance may be affected by parked cars, but it will assess requests for parking restrictions on a case-by-case basis.

Restrictions would only be considered on roads that experience higher traffic volumes (including freight), exhibit speeding issues, have a history of accidents, or present challenging road conditions such as bends or crests, which can make it challenging for drivers to anticipate and accommodate residents accessing or exiting driveways. In any residential setting, it is expected that motorists should be prepared to anticipate and accommodate for residents using driveways.

Identifying Rat Running in Maroondah: Resident input and planned Interventions

Rat running refers to drivers using residential streets or local roads as shortcuts, sometimes to avoid congested main roads or intersections. This behaviour can lead to increased traffic volumes, safety concerns, and inconvenience for residents. Roads are designed based on factors like anticipated traffic volumes, speed limits, and land use. The Victorian Planning Scheme classifies roads into categories such as arterial, collector, and local roads. Arterial roads handle high traffic volumes and connect major destinations, while collector roads act as intermediate links. Local roads primarily serve property access and local traffic within residential areas.

Council will investigate if traffic calming treatments are needed and determine how any works would be prioritised in the context of the limited Local Area Traffic Management budget that funds these works. The investigation may involve:

• a review of VicRoads CrashStats data
• discussions with the local police
• investigatory site inspections of the locations
• traffic counts and speed surveys
• identifying and implementing any mitigating works if needed.

Each financial year, Council has the difficult task of assessing various streets and locations to apply for or allocate funds for mitigating traffic calming or improvements works. Council currently has an approximate 10-year program of Local Area Traffic Management projects currently waiting on funding to be implemented across the municipality. 

If you want to know whether your street is already on Council’s list, please call Council’s Engineering team on 9298 4292.

What can I do about cars speeding and hooning in my street?

Enforcement associated with speeding, hooning and other anti-social driving behaviour is the responsibility of Victoria Police.

To help with these issues, you can:

• record details of these events and report them to Victoria Police through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000
• provide the police with as much detail as possible so they can build a profile of the area and provide targeted responses.

If residents report hoon behaviour, offenders and hotspot areas can be identified and targeted for investigation and prevention measures.

The police have legislation that enables them to impound a vehicle if the driver is detected committing any of the following offences:

• participating in a race or speed trial
• improper use of a motor vehicle, which is the intentional loss of traction of one or more wheels, such as performing donuts, burnouts, handbrake turns or monos on a motorbike
• dangerous driving committed in circumstances involving improper use of a motor vehicle
• careless driving involving improper use of motor vehicle
• failure to have proper control of the motor vehicle involving improper use
• causing a motor vehicle to make excessive noise or smoke involving improper use
• exceeding the speed limit by 45 km/h or more
• travelling at 145 km/h or more in a 100 km/h zone
• driving whilst disqualified or suspended.

Council officers cannot issue infringements for speeding, or impound vehicles for the above offences. 

Keep Clear markings are primarily used to help motorists on a major road turn into a side road. This minimises delay to through traffic caused by stationary turning vehicles. See an example of this below:

        

Overuse of ‘Keep Clear’ linemarking reduces the overall effectiveness of the linemarking, including at locations where they are genuinely warranted.

The provision of bus services including bus shelters and bus stops falls under the responsibility of the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning.

The locations are selected based on criteria such as public transportation needs, distances to walk, safety considerations and community convenience.

Council can forward residents’ concerns to DTP for their direct response. Alternatively, if you would like to discuss the matter further it is suggested to contact the Department of Transport and Planning customer service team directly on 9655 6666.

No. Bus services and routes operating in Maroondah and to neighbouring areas are provided by the following companies:

• Ventura - 9488 2100
• Kinetic - 8618 0888
• McKenzie Bus Services - 9853 6264

Maroondah City Council has a continuing commitment to improve access for people with disabilities.

This is demonstrated through the Maroondah Disability Action Plan 2022-2026 which recognises access to local infrastructure including footpaths as a key issue and opportunity. 

Can Council replace steep kerb ramps?

Council’s Traffic Team can measure kerb ramp grades in accordance with the Australian Standards. If it is found the kerb ramps require improvements, the ramp will be referred to Council’s Accessibility Improvement Program (DDA) for future works, subject to works prioritisation and available funding.