Say ‘no’ to traffic lights on Broken Head Road at Suffolk Park.
I can’t believe that the Byron Shire Council (BSC) seriously thinks that installing traffic lights on Broken Head Road at Suffolk Park is a good idea and that they will be of any real benefit in effectively resolving the ever-increasing number of vehicles using this road.
I feel they have no place in our Byron Shire and will definitely impact on the uniqueness and beauty of the place. l’m sure many other residents and visitors would agree with this. Please be aware if traffic lights are installed, then this may give Council the green light it needs to install more. The community at large needs to send a strong message to Council that we definitely don’t want intrusive and inappropriate traffic lights proliferating on our Shire roads.
The BSC needs to do the right thing and consult with the community regarding this controversial matter.
To help in the medium term, to alleviate traffic congestion on Broken Head Road, three roundabouts need to be constructed: one at Clifford Street, another on the corner of Bangalow Road, and one at the entrance to the Byron High School. These are key points which are causing traffic congestion, in part, to occur. There was an opportunity for our Council to construct a roundabout on a vacant block of land on the corner of Clifford Street and Broken Head Road that sat vacant for many years. Unfortunately, the opportunity was lost last year when the Council approved a new house to be built on this corner block of land.
We clearly need progressive planning to deal with traffic congestion, which is destined to get a lot worse due to an ever-increasing number of large developments being approved in and around Byron Bay. A ‘park and ride’ system and better public transport options need to be implemented. Minibuses (possibly electric) could be one of the ways to move people in and around town, thereby reducing the number of vehicles clogging up our roads and streets.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
