City of Yarra faces local residents’ opposition to plan for 30km/h speed limit trial in parts of Collingwood and Fitzroy

AN inner city council wants $145,000 from state taxpayers to help fund a 30km/h speed limit trial in certain residential areas. But the RACV and many locals aren’t impressed.

AN inner city council wants state taxpayers to help fund a 30km/h speed limit trial with hopes the move could eventually be rolled out across Australia.

However, a survey of local residents has found stiff opposition to the controversial plan.

The City of Yarra is seeking $145,000 from VicRoads and TAC to implement the lower limit in big sections of Fitzroy and Collingwood.

Yarra currently has a 40km/h limit in all residential streets, but a council meeting tonight was to consider a 12-month trial for a 30km/h limit in the area bounded by Alexandra Pde and Hoddle, Johnston and Nicholson streets.

Popular dining precincts Brunswick and Smith streets would be exempt from the 12-month test.

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City of Yarra is proposing a 30km/h speed limit trial in sections of Fitzroy and Collingwood.

In a report to councillors, a traffic management officer said that since 2012 more than 100 crashes had occurred in the proposed trial area, with over 90 per cent involving pedestrians cyclists and motorbike riders.

“Further reduction in vehicle speed is the best opportunity to reduce the number and severity

of injury crashes involving vulnerable road users,” the report said.

The officer said that the original trial area was about half the size, but “an expanded trial allows it to be eligible for external funding, and increases its credibility as a test-case for wider application across Yarra and indeed Australia”.

Yarra would contribute $25,000 towards the cost.

Brunswick St would be exempt from the 30km/h zone trial. Picture: Andrew Tauber

A council survey found only 45 per cent overall support for the 30km/h trial, and this dropped to 40 per cent support and 57 per cent opposed for those living in the trial area.

RACV Manager of roads and traffic Dave Jones said council’s data showed that speeds were already low in this area — “below the speed limit”.

“RACV therefore believes that there is no need to change the speed limit, and that road safety funding would be better spent in areas with a more serious road safety issue,” he said.

Yarra mayor Amanda Stone said the proposed trial formed part of the council’s commitment to creating safer streets for all road users, particularly people who walk or cycle.

“We have already seen the benefits of reducing the speed limit to 40km/h on all residential

streets in Yarra,’’ Cr Stone said.

“The purpose of the proposed trial is to investigate whether 30km/h will provide even safer conditions, especially for vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists.

Yarra mayor Amanda Stone says the trial will investigate if the roads will be safer for cyclists and pedestrians. Picture: AAP Image/Joe Castro

“We have worked in close collaboration with the Monash University Accident Research

Centre in considering the merits of this trial, including referring to Victoria’s Road Safety

Strategy and Action Plan, which recommends 30km/h as an appropriate speed to reduce

road trauma in areas used by vulnerable road users.

“Some people may be sceptical of a 30km/h speed limit and argue it will make traffic flow too

slow. Our initial studies show that motorists would be delayed by less than 12 seconds per

kilometre if they travelled 10km slower at 30km/h.’’

The officers’ report said that VicRoads, TAC and the Monash University Accident Research Centre supported expanding the original trial “to ensure findings are more robust”.

If it goes ahead, the trial will include community attitude surveys, crash statistics and traffic speed, volume and time comparisons.

Several councils have been introducing more 40km/h zones in built-up areas but not 30km/h zones.

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@JMasanauskas