Loreto Normanhurst School Redevelopment - Modification 1

I am very concerned about the traffic management on Osborn road. This is for the following reasons:
1. There seems to be only one in/out method for the traffic flow at the highly congested osborn road/PHR intersection. I have been a resident for 10 years and also a victim of a major car accident at this set of lights. I believe there is not enough modifications to this intersection to allow the traffic to flow. At present, the traffic is much more congested than suggested on the traffic report. I believe the report should be done at a more appropriate time ie Saturday sport days (when maximum number of sports are held at Loreto) and during peak morning and pick up times when ALL students, including Normanhurst public school, are present at school and not on limited student days nor in times of lockdown. I have witnessed many accidents and near misses and also been a victim of one where I lost my unborn child. This is all without any changes to the current school. With limited entry and exit points on the new plan, it is going to be even worse.
2. The plan does not include any right hand turn bays nor increased number of lanes as I suggested in previous submissions. The intersection is already too tight to fit the many cars and buses at pickup turning and it really needs to be widened and an extra right hand turn lane included with a light to show right hand turn safely. Why don't you actually take into consideration the requests from residents when we suggest them earlier??? It is as if our voice doesn't matter
3. I object to the left turn on red being permitted at the already congested traffic lights at the osborn rd/PHR intersection. As I mentioned, it is already so tight at that intersection and letting some cars go safely makes a huge difference in traffic flow. I would also really request a complete investigation into this intersection and traffic light system from the other side (normanhurst public school) as traffic can turn right as people go straight through and it is already unsafe.
4. I am concerned about the single in/out driveway for the development at this site. Why can there not be multiple exits and extry points to disperse the increased traffic.
I urge you to consider all community submissions objecting the traffic plan for this proposal. I cannot accept the development until people's lives are improved as a result, particularly as I know how quickly life can be taken away on this busy main road and as history shows, very young lives can be lost when the traffic is built up and has no place to go, everyone is stressed and there is only bottlenecks and confusing traffic light systems

As a road locked neighbor I am deeply concerned about the increased traffic in and out of Osborn road. I understand the council is considering removing the left turn on stopping into pennant hills road. Not only will this further clog up the road but making it near impossible for locals to turn left to work each morning without having to wait for the lights to turn green. This left hand turn causes no increase risk to traffic flow or incidents but rather helps to increase the flow of Osborn road traffic. Furthermore I’d like to suggest that during peak school zone periods that no parking on Osborn from house 16 up to pennant hills road be permitted. This could then become a left hand only lane from the school allowing for significant increased movement of cars from the bottleneck. With a household of 6 ourselves and 4 cars we join the hundreds of residents who are tired of waiting onerous periods to get in and out of our neighborhood and this is before the student expansion of loreto. Widening the road would be ideal to give three lanes - one to turn right, one left and one straight ahead - but I presume the red gums are preventing this. So the least that ought to happen is our free left hand turn remain in place and cars not to be permitted to park either side of Osborn during school zone periods to help with traffic flow. Both sides should also be considered in currawong as we tentatively weave in and around cars each Saturday with one way traffic only getting through. With all the land loreto has they really should be handling the car parking all onsite as well as traffic flow. The safety concerns and extra travel time for residents is real and must be addressed.

With Osborn rd being the only rd out from the street below like Currawong ave, the traffic and time it takes to get onto Pennant Hills Rd currently is lengthy. If as proposed you remove the free left hand turn from Osborn into pennant hills the traffic and time for the local residents to get onto pennant hills rd will be unacceptable. We have always accepted a certain amount of traffic from the school, but now it is affecting our capacity to get our families to work and school and this should not be the case. Please consider the community in which your school is situated and ensure that their quality of life is not being impacted by your grand plans for a bigger campus. What values are you demonstrating to those around you?

My objection is the removal of the sign ' Left turn on Red permitted after stopping" from Osborn Road into Pennant Hills Road. The free left-hand turn after stopping assists the free flow of traffic (a high percentage of which wish to turn left) and has been done safely since at least the late 1980s when PH Road became 3 lanes each way. TfNSW needs to spell out and justify what safety concerns could be addressed by NOT allowing free left hand turns.
The current sign is of great benefit to traffic flow from Osborn Road before and after school zone times during school days and especially during school holidays with no school traffic.

I am objecting to the proposal by Loreto and TfNSW to remove the free left hand turn from Osborn Road into Pennant Hills Road.

- The turn allows for free flow of traffic

- It significantly reduces traffic congestion at all times and especially during Loreto school drop off/pick up including Saturday school sports. Noting that EVEN with the free left hand turn currently in place Osborne road gets traffic grid locked for extended periods. Removal of the free left hand turn will make this worse.

- It is a community safety concern and right of local residents to safe living conditions. Removal of this turn will allow no place for vehicles to move in the instance emergency services need access in-or-out. There is a large population of elderly residents in Osborne and surrounding streets. As Osborne is a no through road the entrance/exit from Pennant Hills road is the only access. If TfNSW removes the free left hand turn, resulting in a health issue or death of a local resident due to no emergency access, I will reference this submission to help prove a case for their liability.

TfNSW’s mandate is to ensure the safety of public transport; ensuring a safe, efficient transport system to keep people and goods moving. This proposal directly contravenes your mandate. It will slow down the movement of people and goods creating significant inefficiencies.

TfNSW needs to operate under the Road Transport Act 2013 Safety and Traffic Management Generally (cf STM Act, Cll 1 and 3(1)(e) of Sch 1). The regulation includes (g) the control and reduction of (ii) traffic congestion. This proposal creates traffic congestion and contravenes the legislative obligation of TfNSW.

I object to remove the free Left-hand turn from Osborne Rd into Pennant Hills Rd. By stopping the free Left-hand turn, and proposed expansion of Noreto School, it will add to the queue of traffic exiting Osborn Rd during pick up and drop off and causing inconvenience to residents of Osborne, Currawong, Nepean, Wendy, Riverton and Dunbar and parents of Noreto school as this the ONLY exit point for all the traffic from this area. Hence I strongly do not agree to the proposal to remove the free Left-hand turn.
Thanks for your consideration.

It is understood that with the Development Of Loreto Shool Normanhurst it is intended to stop the Free Left Turn After
Stopping from Osborn Road onto Pennant Hills Road.
What possible benefit can be gained by doing so that would outweigh the congestion this will cause to local residents?
Osborn is the only entry / exit for local residents which is already impeded enough with the school.

I object to the proposal to remove the free left hand turn from Osborn Road into Pennant Hills Road.

As local residents have repeatedly stated over the past few years the traffic generated by Loreto is intolerable at times and severely impacts on local residents. More than 150 homes from six different streets (Osborn, Wendy, Nepean, Currawong, Dunbar, Rivertop) only have one exit point and it is through Osborn Road.

The free left hand turn after stopping in Osborn Road helps the flow of traffic and has consistently been done safely for many years by thousands of cars. Stopping the free left hand turn will only add to the queue of traffic exiting Osborn Road during peak times.

I was appalled to read the proposal to abolish the "left turn after stopping' at the top of Osborn Road. This has been operating successfully for many years, and I can see no reason to change it. There is good visibility, and this is an aid to traffic flow. Getting out of Osborn Road can be extremely difficult at the beginning and end of the school day, and I believe this change would make it much worse.

My objection is in relation to the proposed removal of the free left-hand turn from Osborn Road onto Pennant Hills Road.
As a resident of Nepean Ave, along with residents of Osborn, Currawong, Rivertop, Wendy and Dunbar (more than 150 homes), our only exit point is via Osborn Rd. Not allowing free left-hand turns here will have a negative impact for us when travelling west and will worsen traffic congestion on Osborn Road at school pick-up and drop-off times.
The free left-hand turn assists traffic flow and has been carried out safely for decades. TFNSW needs to make it clear exactly why such a change is justified.
Regards
Thomas Wilder

Dear Officer,
I have been a resident at Normanhurst whose driveway is on Osborn road , since 2004.
I strongly object to the removal of free "Left Turn from Osborn road into Pennant Hills Road.
I have many time used the free Left turn while traffic was backed up at the traffic lights on Osborn road preparing to turn right into PHR or going straight. It allows free flow of traffic and reduces congestion as a large percentage of traffic wish to turn left as in my case most of the time.
As my house is at the corner of Osborn road and Pennant Hills road, I noticed a very large number of vehicles including School Buses use the free left turn into Pennant hills Road from Osborn road thereby quickly reducing traffic hold up at the lights. It also enables residents like us to enter into our driveway and backout of our driveway thereby preventing rest of the traffic to be held up and allows us residents easier entry and exit from our house. Traffic on the inside lane on Osborn only needs to give sufficient gap for me to exit my driveway reversing onto Osborn road and eventually turning left.
I urge those involved to NOT GO AHEAD WITH REMOVAL OF FREE LEFT - HAND TURN FROM OSBORN ROAD INTO PENNANT HILLS ROAD.
Regards
George Alexander
Resident of Normanhurst
(Osborn Road driveway)

I have lived in this street since 1954. We have been watching our street get progressively worse due to Loreto over developing. Why would you take the one luxury we have away with the free left hand turn out Osborn road?

Traffic is already ridiculous trying to exit the street. Taking the free left hand turn away will continue to make it a nightmare from the volume of school traffic exciting our street.

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to express my deep concerns regarding the proposed removal of the free left-hand (after stopping) on Osborne Road onto Pennant Hill Road. As a resident of 42 Nepean Avenue and an individual who regularly uses this route, I strongly object to this proposed change due to the potential adverse impact it will have on the local community. I also fail to understand how the development of an ELC determines the removal of the free LH turn at Pennants Hills Road from Obsorne ? This information is not addressed in the document.

The free left-hand turn onto Pennants Hills Road has been an integral part of our commuting infrastructure, providing a convenient and safe means of access for residents. Its removal would undoubtedly lead to increased traffic congestion and subsequently create significant inconvenience for the residents who rely on this route as the primary way out of our neighbourhood.

Furthermore, the elimination of the free left-hand turn may result in a bottleneck effect, exacerbating traffic flow problems during peak hours. This could lead to safety hazards, longer commute times, and increased frustration among residents and commuters alike.

I implore you to reconsider this proposal of removing this free turn and explore alternative solutions that address traffic concerns without adversely impacting the residents of our community. Conducting a comprehensive traffic study or implementing traffic management strategies could be viable alternatives to mitigate congestion issues while preserving the essential access provided by the free left-hand turn.

I urge you to prioritize the well-being and convenience of the residents by retaining the free left-hand turn onto Pennant Hills from Osborne Rd. Preserving this access point is vital in maintaining the smooth flow of traffic and ensuring the quality of life for the community members.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sheetal Patel

This is an absolutely ridiculous proposal. I live on Osborn Rd and it’s already extremely hard to get out of the street in peak hour and turn in to my driveway because the traffic is bumper to bumper. This proposal will make it 100 times worse. It is not right that the residents in and around Loreto should be severely inconvienced because of this. In addition my mother is elderly and we’ve had to call ambulances a number of times so if this is approved it will increase the the time they can get mum to the hospital and put their lives at risk . Im sure other elderly people will be in the same situation. If you care about the members of your community you u will not approve this.

I would like to object to some aspects of the proposed modification

Proposing to removing the free left hand turn out of Osborn road is ridiculous for multiple reasons however the main points are:
1) The traffic is already chaos in peak times due to Loreto school traffic and taking away the free left hand turn will contribute further to this.
2) Off peak traffic, you will create a unnecessary build of traffic leaving Osborn road.
3) Why do the residents in Osborn road and surrounding streets have to continue to suffer due to Loreto?

I would like to lodge an objection to the Redevelopment Modification.

The local streets can not handle the traffic and parking requirements of Loreto, There is already a huge strain on Osborn and Currawong Roads from Loreto.

For the past number of months the traffic to exit Osborne Road onto Pennant Hills Road has been backed up halfway down Osborne Road most mornings, especially around school drop off time. It takes up to 20 minutes to pass through and there is no other way to exit (I live on Dunbar Close Normanhurst) The lights only turn green for a very short period of time and the majority of cars can’t get through. (there is also the same problem on the other side of the intersection on Normanhurst road.)

The removal of the free left hand turn from Osborne rd to Pennant Hills road would add additional strain to the traffic.

In addition to the inconvenience, it is a danger to the public as the gridlock causes school children to run across the road in between stopped cars). My Elderly mother in law lives with me and sometimes requires medical attention I am concerned that the congestion could cause a life threatening delay.

Parking on the Saturday for school sport also blocks the way through Currawong and Osborne Rd (especially Currawong as it is a narrow street. There was an incident 2 weeks ago where an ambulance could not get through to help an elderly woman who had had a medical episode.

The current traffic congestion and bottleneck created on Osborn, Nepean and Currawong ave Normanhurst is beyond a joke. Zero consideration is given to the impact this has had on the residents of the area.

Leaving the street in the morning or afternoon can take up to 15 minutes due to the already ridiculous delay.

Saturday traffic is so bad that last month I was unable to get my 1 week old son home from a medical appointment to his mother to feed him I was forced to go to a pennant hills and have the pharmacy sterilise a clean bottle for him so I could give him his milk.

For the past 18 months we have made submissions to council and Loreto in relation to their complete lack of regard for us.

I can’t fathom how this proposal has already progressed as far as it has given the devastating impact it is having.

I object to the removal of the free left hand turn from Osborn Rd on to Pennant Hill Road as part of this development.
This intersection and traffic bank up at school pick up and drop off times is already terrible, with drivers having to wait through multiple sets of lights to get through the intersection.
Removal of the free left hand turn will only exacerbate the excessive traffic bank up on Osborn road making the situation worse and more dangerous for local residents.

In the interest of public safety and to allow decent traffic flow, the free left hand turn from Osborn Road should be retained. It has worked well for several decades and should be allowed to remain so.

Thanks

The proposed removal of free left hand turn from Osborn Road on to Pennant Hills Road should not be approved.
This proposed change will have a significant negative impact on traffic flow, particularly during school pick up/drop off times, which already see excessive wait times at these traffic lights. This results in impatient drivers making reckless decisions when driving through this intersection causing near accidents most days.
Any changes to this intersection should aim to improve the current poor flow of traffic, rather than add further detrimental effects as this proposal would do. The safety of all road users must be considered here- and this proposal to remove the free left hand turn should be rejected.

Thank you.