Baw Baw Shire Council has welcomed the State Government's announcement of reduced speed zones and remote traffic monitoring to improve road safety in Trafalgar.
Following Council's advocacy, Regional Roads Victoria (RRV) this week announced it would reduce the speed limit of the eastbound exit to the township from 80km/h to 60km/h, in line with the existing 60km/h westbound exit.
While the arterial road is the responsibility of RRV, Council has campaigned for a reduced speed limit at the exit encompassing Davey Drive since a fatal crash at the site in 2016 and serious injury crash in 2017.
RRV and Council have also worked together to reduce speeds to 40km/h on roads near Trafalgar High School, Primary School and kindergarten following a technical review and discussions with key stakeholders and residents.
New time-based 40km/h zones will be introduced on Ashby Street, Contingent Street and Anzac Road, while the permanent 40km/h zone on School Road will be extended.
In a Gippsland first, RRV is also installing CCTV cameras at the intersection of Ashby Street and the Princes Highway to remotely monitor traffic conditions from the VicRoads Traffic Management Centre.
If an incident occurs, the TMC can change the traffic lights and prioritise the flow of traffic to help drivers move smoothly and safely through the intersection.
RRV is also investigating further options to improve pedestrian safety at the traffic signals near Contingent Street and at the intersection of Davey Drive and the Princes Highway, with further community engagement to take place later this year.
Quotes attributable to Mayor Cr Danny Goss:
"Council is committed to reducing road trauma throughout the shire. Trafalgar is growing, and with that growth comes increased traffic and more pedestrians - these changes will improve safety for all road users. We want kids to be able to walk or ride to school safely.
"There have been several serious crashes at the Davey Drive/Princes Highway intersection and this reduced speed limit means traffic will be able to exit Davey Drive safely, with oncoming traffic approaching at reduced speeds."
