After decades of campaigning, the Yarraville community has been granted a 40km/h speed limit on one of the inner-west’s busiest truck routes.
The new school speed zone on Francis Street, near Wembley Primary School, will operate between Gent and Hawkhurst streets during school crossing times.
Seven serious crashes were recorded in the area over the five years to last December, resulting in three serious injuries.
Western Metropolitan upper house MP Andrew Elsbury said the changes resulted from community feedback at a ‘Trucks and the Inner West’ open house session in February.
“Francis Street has over 4650 trucks and 7350 cars using it every day,” Mr Elsbury said. “The lower speed will slow traffic and protect our most vulnerable road users, children.”
Electronic variable speed limit signs will be erected and funding is being sought for a red-light camera to combat the number of trucks running red lights at the Wembley Drive intersection. Works are expected to be finished in September.
The decision places pressure on VicRoads to introduce electronic signs and a school-crossing time-specific truck curfew on Somerville Road, Yarraville.
Upper house MP Cesar Melham recently used Parliament to call on Roads Minister Terry Mulder to repeat his intervention at Park Orchards Primary School in Melbourne’s east.
He said the minister had approved funding of $95,000 despite Park Road carrying only 6600 vehicles a day, well below the 10,000-vehicle criterion set by VicRoads.
“The City of Maribyrnong’s strategic risk assessment reveals that a number of trucks fail to stop at the red lights at the Kingsville school crossing,” Mr Melham said. “I plead with the minister to make a special case to approve the installation of flashing lights at the site so these kids can be safe.”
Benjamin Millar
