The Singleton Argus supports the campaign by Whittingham residents calling for an immediate reduction in the speed limit on the New England Highway through Whittingham.
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Yes we know driver behaviour is the biggest threat to life on our roads but as the statistics, provided by the NSW Police, show we have more than our share of poor drivers using Singleton roads each year.
Despite the best efforts of the police drivers continue to flout the law and when we have them using a poorly designed, narrow road, that is well past its use-by-date then we have a recipe for serious and tragically even fatal consequences.
As we have written for a number of years enough is enough.
Drop the speed limit to 80km/hour and get on with building the fly-over at the intersection of the New England and Golden highways and start building the bypass, not along the Whittingham flats ,but follow either the train line or the route from the Golden Highway across the Hunter River to McDougalls Hill.
Whittingham is a community and the residents deserve to be able to enter and leave their homes in safety and this is not the case now and nor would it be if the bypass started on the edge of town as proposed by the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) and supported by local member Michael Johnsen.
Both these parties are keen on the cheaper option to go through Whittingham - its a flood zone and has numerous entrances and small lanes accessing homes along its length.
Imagine the traffic congestion while they build this bypass along this route.
So much more sensible to opt for the route along higher ground - a greenfield site causing fewer traffic headaches during construction.
Good government works when they listen to the community. Sadly we are seeing more and more failures as government and its instruments ignore their communities.
Get connected Mr Johnsen and the RMS start listening to those most affected by your decisions.
On other road matters it was interesting to see dear old Wallaby Scrub Road's demise has been somewhat delayed due to the existence of a section of Crown Road along its length.
Some Acts of parliament appear to be a beast that no one can over-rule.