By Jed Lanyon
A group of Healesville residents are advocating for VicRoads to lower the speed limit along the Maroondah Highway coming from the Coldstream direction.
The residents who live along the highway want to see the speed limit lowered from 60 kilometres per hour down to 50 kilometres per hour.
Brian Millane voiced his concerns after reading the Mail’s recent coverage of another resident’s fears about the lack of pedestrian crossing infrastructure along the highway.
The group believes changes should be made due to the increase in units and houses along side streets and the fact that the stretch of highway is declared the Avenue of Honour in memory of fallen soldiers.
Nearby resident Barry Allaway said, “For us, personally, it’s like playing Russian roulette to get out there.”
Mike Grigg had recently been crossing the road on his mobility scooter, but is forced to travel a long distance to reach a point where he feels it is safer to cross.
“I’m on footpaths only… I’m restricted in where I can go.”
While the group feels strongly about having the speed limit lowered, they would also like to see VicRoads put a roundabout in place or a crossing near the BP service station.
“They seem to have forgotten about Healesville. Maybe their priority is out in Lilydale.
The residents had been pushing for change since 2016 and were disappointed with the response from VicRoads, who highlighting that there had been no fatalities in the area
At that time, VicRoads denied their requests stating, “An investigation into this section of Maroondah Highway indicates low crash rates below mean levels… adequate visibility for vehicles to decelerate safely and the absence of high risk abutting amenities, such as schools or school crossings.”
In July, the Mail reported another resident’s desire to have a crossing constructed to assist students who use the three bus stops on either side of the Maroondah Highway prior to Healesville.
In response to her recent inquiry, a spokesperson from VicRoads’ Department of Transport said, “We welcome feedback from the community on the roads they rely on every day and continuously monitor our network.
“We’ll inspect the area to determine if there are any improvements required to boost pedestrian safety along Maroondah Highway in Healesville.”
Residents are welcome to submit a letter to the editor to voice their opinions on the issue by emailing: editor@mailnewsgroup.com.au
