Parking & Traffic FAQ's

Traffic speed data across the City is regularly collected and analysed, and where speed is evident, traffic management interventions are developed in order of importance. 

If you believe there is consistent high speed traffic in your street, email townhall@npsp.sa.gov.au with your concerns and traffic data will be assessed.

The Council deploys a mobile trailer throughout the City on a monthly rotational basis. The trailer displays vehicle speeds and a smiley or sad face, depending on the speed of each vehicle that approaches.  The camera also collects data on vehicle speeds and volumes. The data shows that the trailer is effective in educating road users and increasing awareness of behaviour. 

Council has little to no control over speeding vehicles as it comes down to driver behaviour and is a matter for SA Police to enforce speed limits. SA Police can be contacted on 131 444.

The need for traffic management is assessed according to traffic speeds, volumes, crash history, surrounding land use (schools, retirement villages, parks, reserves, retail industrial, etc), and street network category (cycle route, bus route, commercial vehicles, etc). If traffic intervention is warranted, the street will be placed on a priority basis.

Traffic measures may include minor changes such as linemarking and signage or complex traffic calming devices such as slow points. However, complex traffic calming devices are only considered on an area-wide basis and not in a single street so that the problem does not simply shift to another street.

The mobile speed trailer is located on a street if traffic data collection shows evidence that regular speeding is occurring and moves to a new location every 4-8 weeks.

You can request for your street is added to this list by emailing townhall@npsp.sa.gov.au

A 40km/h speed limit can only be installed on an area-wide basis and not just in a single street. Area-wide 40km/h speed limits are being rolled out city wide on a precinct-by-precinct basis, subject to community consultation. Suburbs that are already 40km/h are Stepney, Maylands, Evandale, Norwood and Kent Town. Suburbs that are currently in progress are Glynde, Payneham, Payneham South, Firle, Trinity Gardens, St Morris, Hackney, College Park, St Peters, Royston Park and Marden.

Future areas for investigation are Kensington, Marryatville, Heathpool and Felixstow.

A GIVE WAY sign and a STOP Sign fundamentally act the same way in that a vehicle that approaches an intersection with either a GIVE WAY sign or STOP sign must give way to other vehicles.

STOP signs will only be used if there is poor sight distance at the intersection in accordance with the requirements set out in Australian Standards.

Generally, the non-compliance of GIVE WAY signs is due to driver complacency or being unable to see the signage as they approach the intersection. Therefore, replacing a GIVE WAY sign with a STOP sign may yield minimal benefit in the resolution of the issue.

If an intersection has a higher occurrence of crashes, Council will inspect the intersection to see if the signage is clear enough. To make an intersection clearer, Council may prune overhanging trees or install pavement median bars (yellow humps/rumble bars) to help increase the visual cues of the approaching intersection. This treatment has proved successful at many locations.

The use of STOP signs where poor sight distance is not a factor can lead to driver disobedience, and lack of credibility of STOP signs.

Arterial (Major) roads are owned and controlled by the Department for Infrastructure & Transport (DIT), and the Council has very limited control of these roads. DIT roads within the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters are listed below.

• Dequetteville Terrace;
• Flinders Street;
• Fullarton Road;
• Glynburn Road;
• Hackney Road;
• Kensington Road;
• Magill Road;
• Nelson Street;
• North Terrace;
• Payneham Road;
• Portrush Road;
• Lower Portrush Road;
• Stephens Terrace;
• Rundle Street; and
• The Parade (between Fullarton Road and Portrush Road).

If your request on a DIT road is about any of the following, please direct your enquiry to DIT on 1300 872 677 or https://www.dit.sa.gov.au/contact_us/compliments_and_complaints

• Road Closures
• Clearways
• Bike Lanes
• Traffic Lights / Signal Faults
• Keep Clear road markings
• U-Turn Bans and No Right Turn Bans

If your request on a DIT road is about one of the following, please email townhall@npsp.sa.gov.au:

• Parking Issues (excluding bike lane and clearway related), or
• Any works on the footpath or up to the roadside Kerb.

The installation of roadside mirrors is generally discouraged throughout the Council area as they depict a distorted image that may not accurately indicate the presence, distance or speed of approaching traffic or other road users and therefore safety at the site may be compromised rather than improved.

Property owners may install a mirror within their property at their own cost.

The Council is not responsible for the location of bus stops. If you have legitimate reason for a bus stop relocation, please direct your enquiry to the Department for Infrastructure and Transport on 1300 872 677 or https://www.dit.sa.gov.au/contact_us/compliments_and_complaints

Traffic and parking issues around schools are common at drop-off and pick-up times and are very difficult for the Council to manage.

The Council encourages the school community (including teachers) to adopt sustainable transport options to alleviate traffic issues and improve road safety at schools. These include walking, cycling, catching a bus or parking a few minutes from the school gate and walking the final distance.

Parking inspectors regularly monitor parking at school peak times at all schools on a rotational basis. But there are 16 schools within the Council area and every school cannot be monitored every day.

The Council liaises with schools on a regular basis, and if you have a specific issue, please contact the school to inform them.

The Council has a designated bicycle network.

Streets and intersections on this network are being improved as a priority and in conjunction with road upgrade projects. 

You can inform the Council of any cycling safety concerns and suggestions for improvements by email at townhall@npsp.sa.gov.au

If you have a safety concern for pedestrians, please inform the council via email at townhall@npsp.sa.gov.au

The Council is currently rolling out the new On-Street Parking Policy which aims to:

• Provide fair and equitable access to on-street parking;
• Optimise the use of on-street parking to best meet the needs of users; and
• Ensure the management of on-street parking is clear, transparent and equitable.

Implementation of this Policy is a complex procedure which requires the following tasks:

• identify the hierarchy of parking uses that should apply in the precinct;
• undertake parking surveys to establish factual information about parking demand and pressures and occupancy rates and turn over;
• prepare an inventory of the total parking supply;
• summarise alternative transport options and availability;
• undertake comprehensive consultation with local citizens, business owners and other key stakeholders;
• compare survey results with parking demand and consider the feedback from the consultation process;
• develop a plan to address the issues on a precinct wide basis;
• commence implementation in consultation with affected local citizens, business owners and other key stakeholders.

For a copy of the On-Street Parking Policy, visit here: Policy