Coburg High School students fear using Murray Rd in Coburg North to get to school

Hundreds of students face a deadly gauntlet getting to and from an inner-city high school as they navigate a dangerous road amid calls for urgent safety upgrades

Emergency services respond to another incident on Murray Rd in Coburg North.

Students from a Melbourne high school fear walking and cycling along a major road because of speeding traffic being too close to the footpath and the number of near misses and serious accidents.

A community safety survey undertaken by advocate group Safer Walking and Riding for Murray Rd revealed Coburg High School students were not confident to walk and ride along the busy stretch of road to get to school.

The research surveyed 355 respondents, with the most common participant type being a female aged 35 to 54, living in Coburg North in a household with two children aged under 18 and primarily attending Coburg High School, Barry Beckett Children’s Centre and Newlands Primary School.

The next largest respondent group was those under 18 and nearly all Coburg High School students.

The top safety issues raised were footpaths and shared paths being too narrow followed by traffic being too close to footpath, no separated bike lanes and motorists ravelling at high speeds.

Community advocacy group Safer Walking and Riding for Murray Rd surveyed 355 respondents from the local community to provide feedback on Murray Rd

Coburg High School principal Brent Houghton said there was a high proportion of students who walk, ride and take public transport to school but “were ringed by busy arterial roads” with high speed limits that were “dangerous” for students.

“Students report that our roads have high speeds … we don’t have any school speed zones that apply to our school,” he said.

“We’d be happy to see our roads be safer for our students who walk, ride or catch public transport and any improvements that reduce speeds and have more opportunities for safer crossings.”

Seventy seven per cent of Coburg High School students walk, cycle or use and public transport on Murray Rd.

A car was almost torn in two after a horror crash on Murray Rd.

Mr Houghton said improved pedestrian and bike infrastructure on Murray Rd was critical to minimising danger.

“Students should be able to get to and from school without needing their parents to drop them off and creating pollution and congestion. We think spending money on road safety projects is a good outcome for everybody, where students can make their own way to and from school, be independent, healthy and not add to congestion or pollution,” he said.

A family walks next to Murray Rd showing how close traffic gets to the footpath.

It comes after two students were rushed to the hospital — one in February and one in August — after getting hit by cars at the intersection of Pentridge Blvd and Stockade Ave

“The two accidents this year with students needing hospital treatment just highlights the dangers,’’ he said.

“We need to address the 50km/h zone road to make sure that our students can get to and from school safely.”

Murray Rd went from two lanes to four lanes in 2011 after the Department of Transport noticed safety concerns with the original line marking as motorists attempted dangerous overtaking manoeuvres.

There have been 11 reported crashes on Murray Rd so far this year that Victoria Police has been investigating

A car that lost control on Murray Rd.

Spokeswoman for Safer Walking and Riding for Murray Rd (SWARM) and chairwoman of Coburg High School Walking and Riding Committee Cate Hall said parents would be more comfortable with their children walking or riding if there were wider footpath, separated bike path and a reduced speed limit.

“This situation has come about due to the widely acknowledged mistake VicRoads made in 2011 when they added extra lanes to the road without consulting council or community,” she said.

Spokeswoman for Safer Walking and Riding for Murray Rd (SWARM) Cate Hall.

“Murray Rd became inhospitable and dangerous — the extra lanes made it very hard to cross (including because pedestrian refuges disappeared) and brought the traffic within centimetres of people walking or riding on the paths.

“Reduced speed limits save lives; all the research shows you’re less likely to die if hit by a vehicle going at a lower speed.”

It comes as Merri-bek council reduced speed limit to 40km/h on all council roads.

Thank you @AnthonyC4PV for taking the time to hear and experience a lot of the #MurrayRd issues raised by the 355 respondents to our community survey.

Champ St to Elizabeth St and back was a one hour walk and talk! #walking #riding #coburg #saferoutestoschool #cycling https://t.co/ozZkdy3uCX

— SaferMurrayRd🚴‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️ (@hs4coburg) August 25, 2023

Merri-bek Mayor Adam Pulford said the council supported the leadership of community groups, like SWARM (Safer Walking and Riding for Murray Road), who are calling for urgent change to improve safety for people walking and riding along Murray Rd.

“Our streets and roads should be safe for everyone using them to get around, whether they’re walking, riding or driving,” he said.

“Safety issues on Murray Rd are well documented and the area is very unwelcoming for anyone trying to walk or ride to the shops, school or the local park

“This road is an important link for our community, including for students getting to and home from school and residents getting to Pentridge.”

A Department of Transport and Planning spokesman said the state government was committed to supporting walking and cycling for transport

“Any upgrades to Murray Rd takes careful planning due to the changing nature of the road, proximity to shops and recreational facilities, and type of road users including cyclists and buses,” he said.

“We have undertaken a review to determine how the existing lane configuration can be changed to accommodate pedestrian and cyclist needs which identified improvements to be considered in future network planning.”