Thursday, 3 August 2023

Southern Metropolitan Region

Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (12:52): (318) My constituency question is to the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. The pedestrian intersection of Sturt Street and Eastern Road across Kings Way is simply unsafe. The length of the walking signal is too short to safely cross this wide road, and moreover the refuge area in the middle of the road has not been levelled, so you need to step up over a curb to stand safely on the refuge area. So anyone with a stroller, a walker or a wheelchair must stay to the side of the median island, literally on the asphalt road in the middle of this very busy intersection. When these issues have been raised by my constituents in the past they have been dismissed by VicRoads, citing the use of median islands as sufficient in helping pedestrians to complete their crossing – but clearly, from lived experience, it is not. Minister, will you commit to improving safe pedestrian access and walkability for my constituents at this intersection, and when will these improvements be completed?