VICROADS may be a major barrier to Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s calls to trial 80kph speed limits on roads throughout the peninsula.
The roads authority says it prefers to tackle speed issues on a case-by-case basis.
VicRoads last week said it “regularly explores safety upgrades, including speed limit changes, in consultation with the community and our road safety partners including Victoria Police and the TAC”.
“Speed limits on all Victorian roads are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, but we always welcome feedback from the community on how we can continue to make our roads safer,” a VicRoads spokesperson told The News.
Cr David Gill last week called for an 80kph limit in dangerous areas in a bid to reduce road deaths which have spiked on the peninsula over the past 12 months. (“Call to limit road speeds” The News 18/11/2019).
Cr Gill wants 80kph speed limits on of the peninsula’s narrow and unmade roads.
VicRoads said: “When considering a speed limit change, a range of factors, such as pedestrian and vehicle numbers, the design and type of road, local environment and crash history are taken into account.
“Unsealed roads are mostly the responsibility of local councils.”
Although not all signs have yet been changed, VicRoads says speed limits have been reduced from 70kph to 60kph in Watt Road, Mornington; 100 to 80 in Bruce Road, Mt Martha; 70 to 60 in South Beach Road, Somers; and 90 to 80 in Davies Road, Bittern.
“We are also intending to implement a new speed limit on Jetty Road [Rosebud], reducing it from 100kph to 80kph,” the VicRoads spokesperson stated
Meanwhile, the new mayor Cr Sam Hearn wants residents and ratepayers to “help shape council’s road safety strategy [to] set the vision, targets and strategy of our journey as a towards zero municipality”.
“We want to hear from our community to find out their thoughts, expectations and needs on how we can create a safer road system and network through safer roads, safer vehicles, safer speeds, safer people and bike safety,” he said.
“Sadly, it’s been a tragic year on Mornington Peninsula roads. This year, we have had 14 deaths [when] last year there were two.
“Any death is far too many. We need to work together to minimise road trauma.”
Community consultation is open until 5pm, Friday 20 December. Visit: mornpen.vic.gov.au/haveyoursay.
Hard copy forms are at the shire’s offices in Rosebud, Mornington, Hastings and Somerville.
Drop-in sessions are at Hastings Community Hub, 1973 Frankston-Flinders Road, Hastings, 4-7pm, Wednesday 4 December; Rosebud Memorial Hall, 994 Point Nepean Road, Rosebud, 4-7pm, Wednesday 11 December, and Mornington Council Chambers, 2 Queen Street, Mornington, 4-7pm, Friday 13 December.
Email submissions to: haveyoursay@mornpen.vic.gov.au with the subject line Road Safety consultation or post them to Traffic and Transport Team, Road Safety consultation, Mornington Peninsula Shire, Private Bag 1000,Rosebud 3939.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 26 November 2019
