Choices, choices, choices.

For better or worse, society has hierarchies. Same goes for roads.

According to the road experts, a hierarchical road network is essential to maximise road safety, residential amenity, legality and wear and tear. Each class of road in the network serves a distinct set of functions – and is designed accordingly.

(A) Arterials roads (that would be COFA’s other frontage on Oxford Street) provide service to large areas and usually connect with other arterial roads or highways. They are generally characterized by high traffic volume, heavy loading and widely varying speeds.

(A) Oxford St – arterial road, high traffic volume and heavy loading

(B) Collector streets (that would be COFA’s campus frontage on Greens Road) connect the residential streets with arterial routes. They may have significant truck and bus traffic. The assumed traffic is low to intermediate speed, moderate traffic volume and some heavy loadings.

(B) Greens Rd – collector street, medium traffic volume and moderate loading

(C) Residential streets (those would be our streets) are intended to provide access to adjacent residential properties. They are designed for low speed, low traffic volume and relatively light loadings. Truck traffic is limited to those vehicles that provide residential services such as garbage trucks, delivery trucks, and the occasional moving van.

 

 

(C) Albion Ave (top) & Selwyn St (bottom) - residential, low traffic, light loadings

There. Simple. What’s not to get? Yet COFA chooses residential backstreets rather than the big surrounding roads for its development trucks. What is with that?