Safer streets

THE NEXT stages of Queenscliff’s pedestrian safety blitz are underway, with work starting this week on two new pedestrian crossings.

A traffic island in the centre of King Street, opposite the General Store, along with wider road verges and line markings, will make crossing the street safer and easier.

A new pedestrian refuge near the intersection of Flinders and Swanston streets will assist pedestrians in safely crossing the road when accessing programs and events at Cottage By The Sea, as well as providing easier beach access further down Swanston Street.

Detours around King Street and Flinders Street are in place until the end of the month while Regional Roads Victoria build the crossings, which are expected to be complete by the end of September.

The Borough of Queenscliffe has encouraged motorists to allow extra time while detours are in place for the important safety upgrades which continue the borough’s project to improve pedestrian across Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale.

New crossings have already been completed on Ocean Road, at the entrance to Point Lonsdale Back Beach, with traffic slowed to 40 km/h and Point Lonsdale Road near Admans Street, to improve access to shops, cafes and the Point Lonsdale Bowls Club.

Two crossing points in Queenscliff’s Hesse Street have been converted to pedestrian crossings and the speed limit permanently set at 40 km/h.

A new crossing to create a safer crossing point and address speeding traffic was completed in Gellibrand Street, and a traffic study has been budgeted for in 2020-21 to consider if other road safety measures are required.