By Mikayla van Loon
A petition to gain better road safety outside Mount Evelyn’s Birmingham Primary School has been submitted to Yarra Ranges Council, calling for traffic lights to be installed.
The intersection at Francis Crescent and Birmingham Road sees peak traffic during school drop off and pick up times, something lead petitioner and parent Bosa Sofranic-Carter said has only increased with the growth of the school.
“The area has grown, there’s a bigger population than when that road first became a road and it just needs an upgrade to catch up with the safety that’s required now that there are more people living in the area and using that intersection,” she said.
“There are cars going in so many directions that it’s just a matter of time before, unfortunately, a tragedy happens at that intersection. It is a mismanaged intersection that needs some sort of a solution.”
The petition, which received close to 90 signatures, was heard at the council meeting on Tuesday 11 October, where Ms Sofranic-Carter was able to speak to the issue.
While Ms Sofranic-Carter has considered other options aside from traffic lights, perhaps a ‘keep clear’, she said “it needs to be fair for all and safe for all”.
As parent at Birmingham Primary School for five years and resident of Mount Evelyn since 2011, Ms Sofranic-Carter said it’s been a desire of hers to have something done for all that time.
“I would always avoid school pickup or school drop off time because of the traffic congestion and just feeling unsafe.
“People get stressed in traffic and some people make the wrong choices and then that’s when an incident happens.”
Councillor Tim Heenan acknowledged the traffic increases and experiences of the residents and parents using this road frequently based on his own use of the roads.
“I can understand your concerns as a resident of Mount Evelyn for 36 years and currently two of my five grandchildren attend Birmingham Primary,” he said.
“I worked really hard in the early years on council on getting Francis Crescent at the other end sorted out with parking and everything.
“I know the frustration with more children going to the school in the last couple of years has compounded the problem.”
Ms Sofranic-Carter said lights could also support better and safer pedestrian crossings because currently two crossing guards are needed to stop traffic that is perhaps speeding down the hill.
“Because it’s such a big intersection, a lot of people choose not to use it just because they have seen people not slow down for the crossing guards,” she said.
“That climb up the hill, from Francis Crescent to get to that crossing is massive with a school bag and if you’ve got a pram and a couple of kids, it’s a big climb to do with little children.”
This was something Cr Heenan also raised as an issue that has been identified in the past.
“Over the years the concerns of the traffic crossing supervisors there have raised a lot of very important, serious risks for the people crossing from one side to the other and certainly they’ve done a great job over those years to make sure they’re aware of slowing cars down,” he said.
Responding to a question of where funding would need to come from, environment and infrastructure director Bill Millard said as a Yarra Ranges road, it would be the role of the council to fund the installation of traffic lights.
Mr Millard said this could perhaps be done with support from the State government through a grant should the council apply and be successful but full traffic plans would need to be conducted first.
Cr Heenan said what was formerly a zigzagging road, with 16 turns, has now been made straight to meet the changing needs of the area.
Given this he said he was prepared to work closely with council officers to see how it would develop further to cater to the present needs of the local community.
“With the substantial increase in the population at the school, maybe the time has come now to consider something of this magnitude for the safety of the children.”
Cr Richard Higgins seconded the motion to proceed with traffic investigations of the area and thank Ms Sofranic-Carter for raising the issue with the council.
The motion was passed unanimously and Ms Sofranic-Carter said she was hopeful of a positive outcome.
“My hope is [the council] hear their community members and understand that we just want a safe way to navigate around Birmingham Road and Francis Crescent
“Whether our children go to Birmingham Primary School, or whether it’s someone elderly living down the road, we just want to have a safe intersection that meets the standard that we deserve and also meet the growth that has occurred in that area.
“A big thank you to everyone who signed the petition. I’m grateful for your support. Thank you to community members who have shared a different idea for the intersection. Healthy discussion is how solutions are found. To my children, Grace and Jack, you are my reason for all that I do. I love you more than everything and beyond forever.”
