More 40km/h speed zones for Melbourne suburbs despite congestion concerns

MORE 40km/h speed zones are being rolled out across Melbourne’s suburbs, despite concerns they are worsening congestion.

More 40km/h speed zones are being rolled out across Melbourne’s suburbs, despite concerns they are worsening congestion. Picture: Hamish Blair

MORE 40km/h speed zones are being rolled out across the suburbs, despite concerns they are worsening congestion.

VicRoads has been gradually introducing the lower speed limit around shopping strips to better protect pedestrians and cyclists.

But the State Opposition says the measure is often unnecessary and just slows traffic in a rapidly growing city.

The lower limit already applies in Melbourne’s CBD, near schools statewide during class hours, and in suburban areas such as along a long stretch of High St between Glen Iris and Prahran.

Next on the list are 60km/h sections of High St, Kew, and Auburn Rd, Hawthorn.

Opposition roads spokesman Ryan Smith said safety was important but cars should not be slowed unnecessarily.

“Traffic is already crawling in many circumstances and we want to make sure the speed limit is appropriate,” he said.

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By midyear, High St, Kew, from Adeney Ave to Boorool Rd, will be a 40km/h zone from 7am-7pm weekdays.

High St’s Monday-Saturday 40km/h zone between Kew Junction and Derby St will be extended to seven days a week between 7am and 7pm.

And Auburn Rd, Hawthorn, between Oxley and Rathmines Rds, will be 40km/h between 8am and 8pm daily.

Kew Liberal MLA Tim Smith said that High St was a major thoroughfare, especially since Labor had dumped the East West Link project.

“These changes are daft — people rat-run through Kew. We want traffic to be moving faster, not slower,” he said.

Roads and Road Safety Minister Luke Donnellan accused the Opposition of “breathless hypocrisy”, saying the former government had removed all 70km/h and 90km/h limits across Victoria. He said: “VicRoads will continue to monitor and review speed limits on an as-needs basis.”

VicRoads metro southeast director Aidan McGann said the Kew and Hawthorn sites had seen dozens of injury crashes, several involving pedestrians, in the past five years.

“These changes will not dramatically increase your travel time, but they will dramatically improve safety.”

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