Project Background

In May 2022, we met with the café and implemented time-based parking restrictions on Park Street South to allow drivers to pass queued vehicles. Despite this, queuing issues had continued, causing safety concerns for nearby businesses as well as drivers moving through the street.

We considered additional measures to address the problem and sought community feedback on a few options.

In July 2025, we presented three options to improve traffic management along Park Street South, due to ongoing queuing issues at the drive through cafe. Since that time, we have been meeting with the owner of the business, reviewing parking controls and seeking additional feedback from other key stakeholders.

The options presented were:

Option 1: Left-in, Left-out Access (Install a short median)

Install a short central median (approx. 50m up to house number 4) to prevent right turns into the café’s driveway, creating a left-in, left-out access. Traffic would be directed to the roundabout. This may move the queuing to one side of the street and require those in the queue to give way to residents exiting driveways. However, there is a risk of illegal U-turns at the median’s end.

Option 2: Left-In, Left-Out Access – (Install a longer central median)

Install a longer central median between Port Road and Norman Street to prevent right turns into the driveway, creating a left-in, left-out access. Traffic would be directed to the roundabout, shifting any queuing to one side of the street. Residents exiting driveways would still need to be given way to by queued vehicles.

Option 3: Conditions Remain Unchanged (No changes)

We also recognise that the queuing issue occurs mainly during peak periods, and for most of the day, the intersection functions well. Therefore, we are also seeking feedback on whether residents prefer to leave conditions unchanged.


Consultation Outcomes

During the consultation process, we had 29 people provide feedback about the traffic improvement options. 14 written submissions, 15 completed the survey

The results were made up of the following:

OptionSupport
Option 1 4
Option 28
Option 310
The remaining respondents (7) didn’t choose an option but wanted something different.

What you told us

  • Traffic congestion & blocked access

    Residents consistently describe:

    • Being unable to enter or exit Park Street South, especially from Port Road.
    • Cars blocking the median, driveways, and intersections.
    • Congestion occurring not only during peak times but often on weekends.
    • Some road users cutting around queued cars, creating additional safety risks.

  • Driver behaviour & non-compliance

    Strong concern about unsafe or inconsiderate behaviour:

    • Customers blocking Keep Clear zones and ignoring road markings (approx. 50% still not complying).
    • Cars cutting in, fighting, or engaging in road rage.
    • General frustration with motorists prioritising coffee over road rules.

  • Street not designed for high-volume drive-through

    Multiple residents believe the fundamental problem is land use, not traffic management:

    • Concerns that the road layout cannot support a commercial drive-through.
    • Dissatisfaction with the planning approval process; some call for investigation.
    • Suggestion for trial removal of the drive-through component.

  • Concerns about proposed solutions (median, access)

    Feedback suggests:

    • A continuous median may shift or worsen impacts.
    • Median changes could hamper ambulance operations
    • Some residents feel none of the presented options solve the core issue.
    • Others propose alternative ideas such as:
      • Exit driveway onto Port Road
      • Traffic lights or improved pedestrian crossing
      • More compliance enforcement
      • Operational changes by the cafe

What has been decided

The majority of the community indicated a preference of Option 3 - to retain the current road layout. While both proposed median options would have improved overall safety by shifting queues from Port Road (a high-speed, high-volume environment) onto Park Street South (a lower-speed, lower-volume environment), this change would also have redirected more traffic into the local street network. The community has clearly indicated that this outcome is not supported.

Based on this feedback, Council will not proceed with either of the proposed kerb/median options. These treatments were the only feasible infrastructure responses available without undertaking a full road reconstruction, which is not currently funded or programmed. This means that any future work in this area will focus on education, collaboration and process improvements, rather than physical road changes.

We also heard suggestions that traffic should enter First Things First directly from Port Road. Unfortunately, this is not within Council’s control, as access arrangements for private businesses on arterial roads are managed by other authorities.

During consultation, several residents raised minor concerns about the existing parking controls. In response, we will make small adjustments to the current parking restrictions, as shown in the attached plan.

Finally, based on community suggestions, we are working with the owners of First Things First to explore opportunities for operational improvements that may help manage vehicle queues associated with their business.

Proposed parking control changes:

  • Converting four 4P spaces in front of the First Things First to 30 min for the business to use as 30 mins spaces for:
    • People to park and order from the window, and
    • Staff to direct customers with large orders to triage and wait during busy periods to assist with servicing large queues.

We want to hear from you

To provide your feedback on the proposed traffic options, you can:

  • Complete the online survey
  • Email us your preferred option along with your comments to engagement@charlessturt.sa.gov.au
  • Call us on 8408 1111 to have your feedback taken over the phone
  • Download a hard copy feedback form and mail it to Attn: Community Engagement & Experience PO Box 1, Woodville SA 5011, prior to 5 August.