Merri-bek council push for 30km/h on Lygon St

Drivers in Melbourne’s inner north could soon be forced to slow to 30km/h along one of the city’s premier restaurant precincts after Merri-bek councillors voted favouring a speed reduction trial.

Lygon St could see a speed reduction to 30km/h. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Drivers in Melbourne’s inner north could soon be forced to slow to 30km/h along one of the city’s premier restaurant precincts after Merri-bek councillors voted favouring a speed reduction trial.

The inner-city council on Wednesday voted unanimously in favour to push for a blanket 30km/h speed zone on the bustling strip in Brunswick East.

It comes after a 30-year blueprint released by the state’s infrastructure advisory body revealed plans to eventually transition any local street with a default limit of 50km/h to 30km/h.

Lygon St — from Park to Albion streets — is managed by Merri-bek council, while the City of Yarra controls the road through Carlton.

However, the planned trial would still need to go before the state government, due to its control over 30km/h zones and tram operations.

“While speed limit changes alone have limited impact on real vehicle speeds, even small reductions can improve road safety outcomes,” Merri-bek city infrastructure director Anita Curnow said in the report.

“When combined with additional streetscape improvements, traffic calming treatments, and increased activation on Lygon St, real vehicle speeds are more likely to drop to much safer levels.”

A survey sent to residents found road safety in the busy precinct was a key concern for locals, the council report stated.

Merri-bek council will vote on the report’s recommendations on Wednesday night. Picture: Supplied.

An analysis of a crash data, it said, also revealed the road was a “traffic and safety hotspot” for pedestrians, motorcyclists, and cyclists.

“One in every 10 serious crashes involving pedestrians in Merri-bek occurs on Lygon St, with similar proportions for cyclists and motorcyclists,” Ms Curnow reported.

“For pedestrians, Lygon St is particularly dangerous at night.”

Council also argued reducing the speed limit to 30km/h would significantly “improve the health and safety of all road users on the street”.

The report also suggests council spend $40,000 to audit street furniture — including benches, seats, tables and planters — on the road to help with “decluttering” and removing “unnecessary infrastructure”.

Mayor Helen Davidson said she supported the trial proposal.

“Our community has told us they want further speed limit reductions in areas with significant interface between pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles,” she said.

Katherine Osborne was killed in a horror crash on the road in 2023 Picture: Supplied / 7News

In 2023, after teenager Katherine Osborne was killed on Lygon St, Merri-bek council reduced speed limits from 50km/h to 40km/h between 6am and midnight and unsuccessfully advocated for a further reduction to 30km/h.

Later that year, the council reduced all local road limits to 40km/h.

At the time, Merri-bek councillor Oscar Yildiz — who was re-elected in last year’s elections — said the council had to be “realistic” about implementing a “blanket speed limit” on local roads.