Crossing put on hold

By Kath Gannaway
THE Shire of Yarra Ranges and Upper Yarra Secondary College (UYSC) will re-assess plans to move the school crossing on Riversdale Road outside the school.
The shire was looking at moving the newly installed crossing last April after concerns about safety and traffic congestion at the intersection of Riversdale and Little Yarra roads.
Two crossings, one in Riversdale and the other in Little Yarra Road, cater for the UYSC and Little Yarra Steiner School students.
But, according to school principal Brian Way, the initial problems have settled down and a meeting yesterday (Monday) between shire staff, the school and local police resolved to make some changes to traffic control and monitor the situation until the end of the current term.
Mr Way said drop-off points would be put in place so parents could quickly dispatch students and move off, and the space allowed for cars turning left from Little Yarra Road into Riversdale Road would be extended to cut congestion.
He said students and drivers were now working very well within the constraints of both crossings.
Drivers had become aware of the problems, he said, and were driving accordingly.
“It is just amazing how much the scenario has changed since the crossings were installed,” he said.
He said the feedback from crossing supervisors is that they are happy with the behaviour of students and drivers and with the safety of the crossings.
“The shire is committed to shifting the crossing if necessary but commonsense says there may be other steps we can take which will save a lot of upheaval and money,” he said.
He said the proposal to move the crossing further down the road could also present risks.
“If you move it down further there is a chance kids will not use the crossing and there are risks in that as well,” he said.