MARIBYRNONG Council has distanced itself from major road changes in Footscray brought about as part of the Regional Rail Link project.
The Weekly last week reported residents are critical of permanent changes triggered by the Hopkins Street Bridge reconstruction, which, they argue, will cut them off from local schools and services and draw extra trucks onto Moore Street, already carrying about 2650 trucks a day.
Mayor Catherine Cumming says the council does not support changes to major roads that lead to increased truck traffic in residential streets. “Our city streets already have about 20,000 trucks a day and we don’t want the RRL or any other project to add to the truck problem.”
Cr Cumming said the project shouldn’t be used as a Trojan horse to burden residents with more truck traffic. “Over the past 10 years, residents of Moore Street have experienced a 160 per cent increase in truck traffic. How much more must they endure?”
RRL project spokesman Tim Holmes said the right-turn lanes from Hopkins Street into Moore Street were being extended to reduce queuing at the Irving Street intersection — not to make the way easier for trucks.
“This change is being made to assist in clearing right-turn traffic so local vehicles, including buses, can access the Footscray Central Business District. It will also reduce the likelihood of rear-end crashes,” he said. “These changes are designed to maintain and improve local amenity, not to increase truck movements onto Moore Street.”
Right-hand turns into and out of Cowper Street will also be blocked and Shelley Street will become a one-way street.
Residents say the major works miss an opportunity to make the Moore/Hopkins intersection area a safer gateway to Footscray for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists “instead of a dangerous eyesore that gives the neighbourhood a bad name”.
Resident Adrian Basso says the changes force them into a congested turning lane on Moore Street, the scene of a higher number of accidents. “Safety signs in the pedestrian areas have been regularly flattened by passing trucks and the intersection is never without a carpet of broken vehicle glass.”
But Mr Holmes said the changes would help discourage ‘rat-running’ through local streets during the morning peak.
Residents also complained at being kept in the dark about the changes until last month, but Mr Holmes said information was first shared at a public community information session at Fordham Reserve last September.
Maribyrnong Council infrastructure and engineering director Ian Butterworth said the council had relayed residents’ concerns regarding traffic and parking impacts to the RRL project team.
He said VicRoads was not expected to increase the volume of traffic turning into Moore Street as a result of the works. “It is council’s understanding that the signal systems will not be adjusted to allow extra truck movements. However, VicRoads is the responsible authority, not council.”
A round-table discussion on the works between residents and the various authorities was held on Monday night.
