![Crockers Auto Electrical automotive technician Bruce Gillard said plans to fix congestion on Mortimer Place will enable customers to be able to find parking. Picture by Madeline Begley Crockers Auto Electrical automotive technician Bruce Gillard said plans to fix congestion on Mortimer Place will enable customers to be able to find parking. Picture by Madeline Begley](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/JEQDf2CFmqVGDcvEsZPwEY/f54dd707-d18d-461e-bdb0-580ac0c7d3c8.jpg/r0_0_5150_3433_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Wagga City Council has promised businesses along Mortimer Place that work to fix congestion issues caused by the Fast Lane Drive-Thru coffee shop will be completed by October.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
After several businesses petitioned the council to fix traffic congestion on the street in August 2022, the council began a consultation process to come up with recommendations for a solution.
Those recommendations, including the installation of a footpath, seven angled parking bays, a turning lane that fits two cars and the erection of several no-stopping signs, was tabled at Monday night's council meeting and approved by councillors.
The decision was good news for businesses like Crockers Auto Electrical, which has been dealing with the chaos since the opening of the coffee shop, including near-daily incidents, a loss in trade due to customers not being able to find parking spaces and queues blocking the access to the driveway.
Wagga City Council director of infrastructure services Warren Faulkner said the situation was "complex" as Fast Lane has been more successful than they had thought when the development application for the drive-through business was approved.
IN OTHER NEWS:
'We've been backwards and forwards with businesses working out the best way to [limit impacts], in particular with Crockers Auto Electrical, and the owner of the Fast Lane coffee shop, and then to add to the complexity we've got a large freight company [that] drives in and out of there as well, so we've got to take them into consideration," Mr Faulkner said.
"We've got a solution now. Is it a solution that will fix all the problems? I guess time will tell."
While there is no perfect solution to the problem, Mr Faulkner said the council was not about affecting businesses.
"I think ... all businesses recognise it's better than what's currently there," he said.
The work will be funded by the council with a $4000 contribution from Fast Lane.
"They have been cooperative," he said.
Mr Faulkner said in future development applications for drive-through coffee shops council will take closer consideration of traffic queues.
"Australia has a love affair with cars, so maybe one of the solutions is to stop driving cars and maybe walk up into coffee shops," he said.
"We've got good data now on the popularity of these types of facilities, [so] just making sure there's adequate storage length for vehicles in the future in considering developments."
Mr Faulkner said the works should be completed in the next month or two, with contractors being contacted on Tuesday morning.
"If we can have it done by the start of October, that'd be great," he said.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Download our app from the Apple Store or Google Play
- Bookmark dailyadvertiser.com.au
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters