Traffic lights are slated for Ballarat Road and Hulett Street in Albion, despite a long-running campaign for a safer crossing at the arterial’s intersection with Perth Avenue.
While VicRoads’ metro north west director Vince Punaro said the roads body was investigating “a number of options” to make intersections along Ballarat Road, between Anderson Road and the Western Ring Road, safer, Brimbank council says it has been told otherwise.
Mayor John Hedditch has said that VicRoads revealed in a meeting last week that traffic lights were likely to be installed at the intersection of Ballarat Road and Hulett Street, rather than the known trouble spot at Perth Avenue.
Speaking at last week’s council meeting, Cr Hedditch said: “The council’s understanding from VicRoads is that, considering the history of reported accidents, there is no need for traffic signals on Perth Avenue at this time”.
“VicRoads further advised it is considering the installation of traffic signals at the intersection of Hulett Street and Ballarat Road.”
The news came as a blow to the Albion Action Group, which has campaigned for traffic lights at Perth Avenue for years.
“Lights at Hulett Street won’t help,” group spokesman Dinesh Jayasuriya said. “Hulett Street came out of nowhere, it has no affect on the need for lights at Perth Avenue, which are needed for pedestrians to access the bus stop on the north side of Ballarat Road and for cars to turn right out of Albion.”
Traffic lights at the trouble spot have been on the council’s safety wish list since it was first raised in the 2013 Albion neighbourhood plan.
Cr Hedditch said the intersection was a hazard and needed to be made safe.
“The Albion community is fed up with having to play ‘dodge-em cars’ to cross into Ballarat Road,” he said.
Mr Punaro said VicRoads expected to make a recomendation on traffic treatment for Ballarat Road later this year. He has previously told
Star Weekly that the intersection of Perth Avenue and Ballarat Road has a low crash history compared with 10 recorded crashes on Ballarat Road between Hulett Street and Carrington Drive in the five years to January.
