A large amount of in-depth evidence has been collected to justify action to cut the speed limit from 100km/h to 60km/h on an unsealed rural road close to Lancefield.
“In summary, the problems could be solved through three major signage installations, saving the shire council considerable time and money,” local resident Denis Graham said yesterday.
“It’s a win-win situation all round, and we hope that on Wednesday night Macedon Ranges councillors fully consider this issue and find a way to take appropriate action.”
Mr Graham has been spearheading a residents’ campaign to convince the council that action must be taken on safety grounds.
A petition signed by all but one resident of Grahams Road was lodged with council some time ago, and an engineering response is expected at council’s meeting tomorrow (Wednesday) night.
Mr Graham, a long-time local, said the Department of Transport and Planning had been consulted and advised that changing a speed limit was not onerous and was one of the cheapest road safety options available.
He claimed Austroads sightlines data proved the speed limit of 100km/h was dangerous and questioned whether collection principles applied by council might be flawed at times.
Grahams Road runs diagonally between Kilmore-Lancefield Road and Sunbury-Lancefield Road, and is used by motorists to cut short their travel times between Kilmore and Romsey by avoiding going through Lancefield.
For some, it has become a “rat run” and residents claim particular intersections are very dangerous due to sight restrictions.
“Ratepayers are being slugged upwards of $100,000per annum on this road. There would be a huge saving if non-local traffic was diverted to the bitumen,” Mr Graham added.
He expressed thanks to residents for their support on this issue, saying there was considerable interest in what might unfold at the council meeting.