Elsie Lange
Long-time Bulla resident Jo Muldoon describes trying to cross Bulla Road like “playing Russian roulette” in her renewed call to have a pedestrian crossing installed in the town.
At a meeting on Monday, October 24, Hume council discussed a report into the feasibility of installing a signalised pedestrian crossing, following a petition to council in April 2021.
The report said after traffic and pedestrian count surveys, the installation of a signalised crossing on the arterial road was “not warranted” under current Department of Transport (DoT) guidelines, however Ms Muldoon said the “need remains”.
“It is highly problematic for mums with prams and small children, seniors with mobility scooters, people in wheelchairs, those trying to get across to the post office… and hotel guests who arrive from Melbourne Airport by bus and who are burdened with heavy luggage,” she said at the meeting on behalf of the petitioners.
She said statistics raised in the report were undermined by a range of factors – including a low pedestrian count in April 2021 in between lockdowns and an existing apprehension to attempt to cross the road.
There are no pedestrian crossings available on Bulla Road. The report said “pedestrians seeking to cross Bulla Road are required to stage their crossing via the central median, which in some locations is a line marked median or turning lane”.
Council supported the construction of a pedestrian refuge within the existing median island and a footpath connection to Bulla Road between two existing bus stops west of Rawdon Street, subject to DoT approval.
According to the report, DoT has been supportive of the proposal in initial discussions of the eastern side bus stop being upgraded. Council has requested this as it is a DoT responsibility.
Councillor Jodi Jackson said even though Bulla was a small town of 650 residents, it was busy and bustling, and should have better infrastructure given its location in metropolitan Melbourne.
“Bulla doesn’t benefit from the infrastructure you’d expect to find in a metropolitan location… critically it doesn’t have a single safe pedestrian crossing to allow those who live on the south side of town to get to the pub, the Post Office, to church, the rose garden, the town park or the town hall,” she said.
Cr Jackson reiterated Ms Muldoon’s concerns surrounding increased heavy haulage vehicle traffic, carrying West Gate Tunnel spoil to the Bulla processing facility.
“Imagine having to navigate your way across multiple lanes of traffic travelling at 60km/h, and having to wait in the middle of the road with trucks whizzing past you in both directions,” Cr Jackson said.
“It sounds terrifying to me.”
