Safety questions remain about Tivoli Drive

A GROUP of Curlewis residents have turned their attention back to the City of Greater Geelong after the Planning Minister failed to alleviate their safety concerns about Tivoli Drive.

The Tivoli Drive Residents Group (TDRG), led by local resident Neil McGuinness, is calling for a safety analysis to be conducted on the traffic network proposed under stage two of the Jetty Road Urban Growth Plan.

The plan would see Tivoli Drive become a transport “spine”, providing a major transport link for all road users with an anticipated 17,000 vehicles travelling along the thoroughfare each day.

Earlier this year, the TDRG contacted Victorian Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny to ask that she require the city to undertake a comprehensive safety analysis before the proposed traffic network was presented for planning approval.

This safety assessment, Mr McGuinness said, should investigate where crashes between all road users have the potential to occur.

However, in her response, received by the group last month, Ms Kilkenny said that she had been advised by the Department of Transport and Planning that “traffic engineering assessments” had already been undertaken on behalf of the city.

Mr McGuinness is now waiting for more information from the city on what these assessments covered.

“I’d like to be able to see the evidence that the safety aspects that I’ve raised are being addressed and not just say ‘Yes, we are looking into that’ or ‘We have done it’,” Mr McGuinness said.

“It’s often said that safety is very important – [the] number one priority – but I haven’t seen any evidence that the safety aspects have really been looked into.”

TDRG member Tom O’Connor said while growth in the area was inevitable, it needed to be handled with the utmost respect and consideration for the community.

“What I’m worried about is there’s no room for kids and young children to move safely.

“One kid getting hit by a car is one too many. It’s just unacceptable.”

At the centre of the TDRG’s concerns is the dual carriageway treatment proposed for Tivoli Road, which the group believes will generate unnecessary conflicts between road users and could result in a fatality.

Mr McGuinness has suggested a service road treatment, which separates commuting traffic from pedestrians, cyclists and residences, would provide a safer outcome.

Tennille Bradley, the city’s executive director of placemaking said the role and function of Tivoli Drive has always been planned as a duplicated ‘boulevard-style’ road.

She said this was similar to the nearby Centennial Boulevard, which is also in the Jetty Road Urban Growth Area.

“Design and safety issues in relation to Tivoli Drive were considered by Planning Panels Victoria and the panel deemed the proposed arrangements for the duplication of Tivoli Drive to be appropriate,” Ms Bradley said.

“The panel did not recommend a service road or similar, and council officers do not support either.

“Council traffic engineers will assess traffic impact reports associated with future development plans and subdivision permit applications.”