EIGHT new pedestrian crossings have been proposed for Warrnambool by mayor Jacinta Ermacora in response to increasing community concerns about road safety in the city.
She has foreshadowed the push in a notice of motion to be debated at the August 20 open council meeting.
In her list are new $50,000 traffic light crossings on Koroit Street near the base hospital, and on Hopetoun Road near the Mercy Place nursing home entrance.
The rest would be zebra line-markings costing between $3000 and $5000 on Ryot Street opposite the hospital main entrance, Viaduct Road, a Raglan Parade service road, Gateway Road (two crossings) and a new supervised school crossing on Jamieson Street near Nelson Street.
Cr Peter Hulin has also put crossings on the table with notices of motions this Monday night including a call for a pedestrian crossing on Viaduct Road and a 40km/h speed limit on that foreshore route. He has raised the Viaduct Road suggestion several times before.
Cr Ermacora said she was giving three weeks for councillors and officers to discuss her suggestions in committee discussions before voting.
She said recent approval of the city centre structure plan, which put pedestrian safety as a priority, had given the green light for more crossings.
“Before drafting this notice of motion I’ve had discussion with engineers and researched how the crossings can be paid for,” she said.
“This list is in response to community feedback about population growth and our busy collector roads becoming more dangerous for pedestrians.
“I’m hoping, if the motion is supported, that as spare money becomes available in the council budget this financial year it can be devoted to these projects.
“But of course it is all subject to VicRoads approvals.”
Petitions and letters have been presented to the council in recent months for crossings on Gateway Road near the eastern shopping centre precinct and Hopetoun Road.
“I hope the introduction of more crossings will generate a culture of courtesy by drivers to pedestrians,” she said.
The Raglan Parade service road crossing would be situated near the access path to Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School.
Cr Ermacora said there were growing safety concerns about the risk to children posed by motorists using the service road to avoid traffic lights.
“It’s becoming really dangerous at school times,” she said.