A Woodend parent is calling for a pedestrian crossing to be installed at “dangerous” and “confusing” intersection regularly used by school children.
For families living in Woodend’s north, crossing over Romsey Road is unavoidable, and Woodend parent Kathryn Tollerud said the intersection where High Street meets the Avenue of Honour is of biggest concern.
She has started a petition which she will soon deliver to Macedon Ranges council, calling for the installation of a pedestrian crossing at the site.
Ms Tollerud said the crossing is the only practical crossing point for children travelling from Woodend’s north to Woodend Primary School and St Ambrose Primary School.
The crossing point is already regularly used by many pedestrians, and Ms Tollerud said there uncertainty around whether drivers will stop to let them pass.
“It’s just a really dangerous part of the road because drivers are trying to do the right thing,” she said.
“It’s already a confusing intersection for drivers and we’ve actually witnessed a car crash at that site on the school run before.”
Ms Tollerud said she lives in a court with 16 kids in it who want to ride all their bikes to school together.
“I won’t let the kids ride sometimes, I’m like ‘you have to walk or you can go in my cargo bike’ because the kids panic, we panic, and you have to really gun it across the road.,” she said.
Ms Tollerud said more than 150 residents had already signed her petition.
The road is included in council’s 2022 Woodend Integrated Transport Plan, which recommended a refuge crossing at Romsey Road-Avenue of Honour intersection.
Macedon Ranges assets and operations acting director Daniel Grigson said council would flag the feedback on this intersection and petition, once its submitted to council, to the responsible body, the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP).
“Council officers have previously explored potential options at this location, including in the lead-up to the recent Old Lancefield Road works nearby, though any solution requires DTP assessment and approval,” he said.
DTP was contacted.
Details: https://www.kathryntollerud.com/romsey-rd-crossing/
