By Bonny Burrows
An Upper Beaconsfield resident says that increasing the speed limit on Salisbury Road would be accommodating criminals.
Phil Maxwell argues that there is “no sense” in Cardinia Shire Council’s traffic engineers’ plans to increase the road’s speed limit because there have been no recorded accidents.
If approved, the changes would see the road’s speed limit increased from 50km/h to 60km/h and a parking lane would be painted along the stretch of road just off Emerald-Beaconsfield Road.
The proposal was first put to residents in February last year by the shire’s senior traffic engineer Nicholas Charrett, who told locals that the road’s average traffic speed was around 59km/h – meaning drivers were treating the area as a 60km/h zone regardless of signage.
Mr Charrett again presented the plans, yet to be approved, to residents at a community meeting on 2 August.
Cardinia Shire Council’s manager of infrastructure services Andrew Barr told the Gazette that the changes would bring the collector road into line with other similar roads.
“The current 50km/h section is considered too short and inappropriate for a road that has the function and traffic volumes of Salisbury Road,” Mr Barr said.
“The combination of a 10km/h speed zone increase and the parking line treatment has been undertaken in a number of other collector roads within the municipality recently and, overall, has shown a reduction of measured speeds in roads after being treated.”
However, Mr Maxwell, a local bus driver, said such work was “accommodating criminals” who were speeding on the local road.
“By increasing the speed limit to the average driver speed means they’re no longer breaking the law,” Mr Maxwell said.
“This is a blatant insult to all of us who actually do abide by road speed limits.”
The changes would also pose a risk to young and elderly people who frequented the area, he said.
“The proposed zone has a number of community facilities within close proximity including an aged care facility, community centre, childcare centre and kindergarten,” Mr Maxwell said.
“(It) is also a designated drop off and pick-up point for a number of school buses in the morning and afternoon.
“Do you know how many students that is? To allow large vehicles an increase of 10km/r is a recipe for disaster.”
Mr Barr said there had been no recorded injury crashes in the last five years in the section of road where the changes are proposed.
“The intersection crash reported minor injuries being sustained and was due to a car failing to give way when crossing the centre line,” Mr Barr said.
“The proposed changes would address this issue as the centre line will be adjusted to reduce the need for vehicles to cross the centre line when passing parked vehicles.”
The council manager argued that the proposed changes would provide overall safety benefits including safer access to residential properties, enhanced parking definition and narrower traffic lanes for pedestrians to cross, while still allowing for safe road use.
Subject to the result of public consultation, Mr Barr said the changes were expected to be implemented later this year, with resealing works scheduled for the road.
However Mr Maxwell hopes the council will reconsider the changes.
“In the name of common sense, the council needs to consider the specific needs of our community,” Mr Maxwell said.
“Why change something that’s working?”
