Has new McDonalds drive-thru aggravated traffic problems?

A Traffic Impact Study (TIS) presented before the approval of a new McDonalds outlet had concluded that the roundabout in Gharghur only 50 metres away was already “failing” to keep up with traffic flows, before the opening of the popular outlet.

Amid public reports that the drive-thru has intensified traffic in the Gharghur area, which is also conjoined to a petrol pump station, a MaltaToday analysis of the planning permit for the restaurant found that the TIS deemed the impact of the new drive-thru on traffic flows as being “marginal”.

The transport regulator claims works on the roundabout are required, but not because of the new 24-hour drive-thru restaurant.

Asked why Transport Malta did not insist on the upgrade of the roundabout junction at Triq tal-Balal and Triq Santa Katerina, before the drive-thru was approved, TM chairman James Piscopo said the necessary upgrade is required because of network traffic growth, and not directly related to the traffic generated by the McDonald’s outlet.

“Transport Malta has committed itself to undertake necessary junction upgrade works. These junction upgrade works will be carried out in accordance with national road infrastructure upgrade priorities,” Piscopo said.

The traffic impact study presented in January 2013 concluded that the additional vehicular traffic generated by the new McDonald’s restaurant and drive-thru at Gharghur would represent “a relatively small proportion of the total traffic” already using this part of the road network during the peak periods.

Peak times for traffic to the restaurant, the TIS says, are lunch times and early evenings, after 6:30pm.

Since these peak times do not coincide with the normal morning and evening traffic rush hours, the impact on traffic flows generated by the McDonalds outlet was deemed to be “marginal” by the TIS.

However, the TIS has also pointed out that traffic on certain arms of the roundabout intersection, sometimes experienced delays during the rush hour – a common occurrence for motorists returning from work in the evening.

A ‘junction modelling’ carried out for the TIS, claimed that additional traffic generated by the restaurant would “only marginally impact on the overall performance of this junction”.

The TIS consultant even proposed minor modifications to the existing roundabout to address overall capacity issues, which modifications were deemed to be acceptable by Transport Malta.

Still, the claim that the impact on an already precarious traffic situation is marginal is contradicted by Naxxar and Gharghur residents who complained to MaltaToday of increased congestion in the past weeks.

The application for the new McDonalds outlet was presented by the VC Service Station, and approved in August 2013.

The land in question had been added to the development zones in the 2006 rationalisation exercise launched by former environment minister George Pullicino 2006, which extended building zones.

The development includes a car park for 41 vehicles accessible from the main road on Triq il-Balal and from the rear on Triq Santa Katerina.