Council moves to calm traffic at hotspots

TWO Narre Warren roads are in need of traffic calming measures to slow down speeding motorists, as revealed in Casey council traffic surveys.
Fleetwood Drive and Prospect Hill Road between Tinks Road and the Hallam Bypass Reserve have been identified as needing new road measures to slow down traffic on the busy thoroughfares, as stated in a recent council report.
Fleetwood Drive provides a major link to Narre Warren Cranbourne Road and houses Hallam Valley Primary School, Fleetwood Maternal and Childcare Centre and preschool, and two childcare centres.
A September traffic survey found more than 3500 cars drove along Fleetwood Drive each day, with more than 60 per cent exceeding the 50 kilometre an hour speed limit.
The council report also stated there had been one serious injury and two other injuries along Fleetwood Drive from January 2000 to December 2004.
In a similar survey conducted in February/March this year, it was revealed that Prospect Hill Road, an educational precinct that houses Fountain Gate Primary School, Dandenong Valley Special Development School and Eumemmerring Secondary College Fountain Gate Campus, carried more than 2000 cars a day.
The data also revealed just over 46 per cent of drivers drove faster than the 40kph prescribed speed limit and there had been one serious injury and three other injuries from January 2000 to December 2004.
The council estimated the cost of installing traffic-calming measures along the 800-metre residential street would cost $130,000, and $370,000 on Fleetwood Drive.
Following the results of the traffic survey, the council moved at last week’s meeting to forward the details to the Victorian Police Casey Traffic Management Unit to consider speed enforcement along the street.
It also moved that the streets be included on the Speed Awareness Mobile (SAM) program, to reinforce to motorists the speed at which they were travelling.
Both roads have now been referred to the next stage of the local traffic management strategy and Springfield Ward councillor Lorraine Wreford moved that in the interim hoon hotline signs be erected in both streets.
Cr Wreford welcomed the council reports and said she was pleased local residents were closer to having a solution.
“But not quite close enough and not soon enough for residents,” she said.
“The hoon hotline signs will reinforce the message of safe driving in Casey.
“(The erecting of the signs) is a simple thing that can be done so easily and to me it is just commonsense.”
Hallam Valley Primary School principal Debbie Pejkovic welcomed the move this week and said the school did have concerns about speeding motorists during the school’s peak times.
She also revealed one child had been knocked down last week in a minor incident near the school and urged drivers to slow down and take caution.
“We do have concerns over the road and would love some traffic calming devices,” Cr Wreford said.
“We often asked for a greater police presence and our crossing supervisors report a lot of things, such as people speeding and rabbiting through or not slowing down.
“I really urge people to slow down and consider children’s safety.”