New state-of-the-art 'smart' lighting at bus stops and key locations along the Bellarine Rail Trail will help increase safety for Leopold residents.
As part of a $250,000 Victorian Government initiative to improve public safety and combat anti-social behaviour, lights will be installed at the intersections of the rail trail with Melaluka Road, Kensington Road and Christies Road, as well as other highly used entrance points.
These lights will also feature CCTV cameras.
In addition, lights with WiFi capability will be put in place at several bus stops in Leopold, increasing the visibility of passengers to approaching drivers and providing live wait-time updates to those using the stops.
The City of Greater Geelong will contribute $30,000, bringing the total investment in the project to $280,000.
If successful, there's potential for similar technology to be rolled out across the region.
It's expected the lights will be in place by mid-2021.
Mayor Stephanie Asher:
We want Leopold residents to feel safe when using the rail trail and waiting for the bus, and a big part of that is making sure these areas are well lit.The smart features will offer the added benefit of increasing surveillance through the CCTV cameras, and giving bus users up-to-the-minute information about how far away their bus is.
Anything that encourages more people on the Bellarine to use the rail trail and the bus service is a good thing. We thank the state government for its investment in this project.
