Fed-up motorists have urged a local council to scrap a “ridiculous” road sign which they say is causing traffic chaos and only benefits a handful of cyclists.
Residents have repeatedly raised concerns about the ‘no left turn’ sign on Riverside Crescent, near Dulwich Hill, in Sydney’s inner west.
The sign, which was installed without community input in February 2021, blocks a key exit on the Dulwich Hill side of the Wardell Road Bridge.
The bridge, which spans the Cooks River, is a busy road regularly used by motorists from the Inner West and Canterbury-Bankstown local government areas.
Motorists say the “no left turn” sign prevents drivers from entering the intersection and accessing nearby suburbs, causing miles-long traffic delays.
“The strange thing is that right turns are still allowed on the road – a cynic might say they are trying to stop Canterbury invaders trying to come in from across the river, over their moat,” said one Earlwood resident. news.com.au.
“We’ve always had a bit of trouble getting out because it’s surrounded by the river, we only have two or three bridges to choose from,” said another local.
The sign was erected as part of ongoing construction of a 6km cycleway from the Cooks River to the northern part of the Parramatta River at Iron Cove.
Motorists have expressed outrage at the sign as it prevents drivers from entering the intersection and accessing several suburbs, causing traffic chaos as a result (pictured)
Funding for the $10 million shared cycle and walk path was secured as part of the State Government’s Get NSW Active program in August 2022.
An engineering report by Inner West Council, published in 2018, said the sign would only cause minor traffic disruption.
Angry residents signed a request remove the sign with 84 percent of motorists indicating they were not satisfied with it.
The petition organizer said most residents did not know why the sign had been put up and thought it was “ridiculous or a joke.”
The council has submitted a revised plan to allow vehicles over 6m in height to access the intersection after a petition received nearly 600 signatures.
The council also consulted with locals about installing ‘no left turn’ signs further down Riverside Crescent.
Residents were not offered the option to participate in consultations on whether the sign should be removed entirely.
Angry residents have signed a petition to force Inner West Council to remove the ‘left turn’ sign on Riverside Crescent (traffic on the road shown)
The council voted to keep the original sign in place in December 2022 and a spokesperson said the matter has now been resolved.
“The sign was installed to reduce traffic on local streets while also supporting the use of bicycles on sections of the Greenway,” the spokesman said.
A spokeswoman for Canterbury City’s Bankstown said residents’ concerns had been raised with Inner West Council.
The council is also believed to have reviewed traffic conditions on Wardell Road.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Inner West Council and City of Canterbury Council in Bankstown for further comment.