By KATH GANNAWAY
THE speed limit on a section of Warburton Highway to the west of Yarra Junction will be reduced by 30km/h in a bid to make crossing the highway safer for users of the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail.
The 50km/h zone that currently starts just past Lowes Road will be extended to the west taking in the rail trail crossing near Barak Drive.
In another move to further increase the safety for users, Yarra Ranges Council is proposing to move the crossing back from the Barak Drive turning lane with the intention that any change to the speed limit would extend to the relocated crossing.
A number of factors come into play at the unmarked crossing, making it necessary for cyclists and pedestrians to make a dash when there is a gap between cars travelling at 80km/h in each direction.
A submission made to VicRoads last year by the Friends of Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail highlighted the dangers, saying Trail users, particularly children and senior citizens, regularly risked their lives at the highway crossing.
“There is no marked pedestrian crossing or safe haven in the centre of the highway. Vehicles pass either increasing their speed to 80km/h going west out of Yarra Junction, or travelling at 80km/h heading east towards Yarra Junction,” they noted in the submission.
They said the Trail crossing was complicated by the proximity of a bus stop and the nearby intersections of Corduroy Road and Barak Drive.
The group was successful last year in working with VicRoads to provide a safety fence along a 75 metre section of the Trail which ran close to the highway at Launching Place.
Friends spokeswoman Megan Wallens said while safety initiatives such as a pedestrian refuge or a signalled pedestrian crossing were unlikely in the short term, the reduction in the speed limit and proposal to relocate the crossing was another ‘good news’ story for Trail users.
