The Andrews Labor Government is continuing the rollout of 75 new dynamic pedestrian crossings to improve safety and reduce congestion around schools and rail interchanges, with 50 per cent of the new crossings now operational.
Dynamic crossings use sensors and high-definition cameras to detect how many people are waiting at a crossing and adjust the crossing time accordingly, keeping students and families safe and improving traffic flow.
Funded as part of the Smarter Roads program, the new detection technology has been installed at 38 sites across suburbs like Altona North, Balaclava, Bayswater, Berwick, Hoppers Crossing and Mentone.
As the rollout continues, priority is given to locations with the greatest risk and where there are large numbers of pedestrians, particularly near schools and train stations, or where there is a history of incidents.
The new infrastructure is supporting Victoria's school crossing supervisor program, which is the most extensive in the country, with more than 3,000 supervisors located outside primary and secondary schools across the state.
School speed zones will have been switched on statewide this week, to create a safe environment for students and motorists for the start of Term 3.
As students get to and from school it's important for drivers and cyclists take extra care and watch out for pedestrians and children on bikes.
The new crossings support Victoria's Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030, which has a focus on protecting vulnerable road users as part of targets to halve road deaths and significantly reduce serious injuries by 2030.
As stated by Acting Minister for Roads and Road Safety Jacinta Allan
"These upgrades will help keep some of our most vulnerable road users safe and reduce the idle time for motorists."
"Even with the best technology, a small reduction in speed around schools makes all the difference when it comes to keeping kids safe."
