Elsie Lange
A Sunbury business owner is suffering another blow due to traffic issues caused by upgrades in the town – this time it’s pedestrian crossing upgrades taking place during his prime trading hours.
Rusty Owl Sunbury owner Peter Ralph said Hume council’s weekend upgrades to a pedestrian crossing at Evans and Brook streets has been another blow to his business on top of works to remove a level crossing, which has closed Gap Road between Evans and Horne streets.
“It stops people from coming into town. If you’re driving into Sunbury and there’s another gridlock on a Saturday and you’re going shopping, it’s easier just to bypass Sunbury and go to Watergardens, or go anywhere else,” Mr Ralph said.
The next load of works at the pedestrian crossing were set to take place at the weekend, after deadline.
Jacksons Creek Ward councillor Jack Medcraft said the reason the works had to happen now was because the council had received federal government funding for the upgrade, and had to use it within a specific time frame.
“We really had no choice, it had to be taken up otherwise we would have lost the funding for it,” Cr Medcraft said.
However, Mr Ralph just wishes that it wasn’t happening on Saturdays, which is when he might recoup his losses from other works going on.
“Do it Sunday, do it any other day, apart from the busiest shopping day we have in Sunbury at the moment,” he said.
Hume infrastructure and assets director Adam McSwain said council recognised the community might be impacted with a level crossing removal underway nearby and investigated options to minimise traffic problems.
“Two Saturdays were chosen to undertake the works, as mid-week traffic had higher hourly volumes at peak times of the day and more buses travelling through the intersection, resulting in significant traffic impacts,” Mr McSwain said.
While businesses adjoining the intersection were notified in early May, Mr Ralph said it’s the congestion, not the proximity, which could drive people away.
Cr Medcraft apologised to businesses owners like Mr Ralph.
“I know how hard they’re doing it with the railway crossing, it’s really caused some major issues, but I suppose at the end of the day we’re going to have roads easier to use and pedestrian crossings that are better to use,” Cr Medcraft said.
