A SOUTH Morang housing estate will get a blanket 40 km/h speed limit in a trial that could spread to other estates where young families are fearful about safety on narrow roads.
Whittlesea council last week voted to drop the limit at Riverside Estate from 50km/h and will review the change in a year.
“It is a good idea to run a test in an area with two roads in and out [Doreen Rogen Way and Riverside Drive],” councillor Sam Alessi said.
“That whole area is enclosed and we can do an experiment and see how it goes.” He said residents of the estate, with about 550 houses, had asked for the speed reduction.
A report to the council said 78 per cent of the 30 per cent of residents who responded to a questionnaire were in favour of reducing the speed limit.
The report said the Epping Highway Patrol Unit supported the move, while the plan met VicRoads guidelines because of the number of reported crashes which had resulted in casualties as well as the level of local concern about safety.
“[The] disadvantages of a 40 km/h speed limit in a neighbourhood could be that other sections of the community could view this as justification for a 40 km/h limit in their neighbourhood,” the report stated.
“[It would] introduce another speed limit which may be confusing to motorists.”
Meanwhile, there will be no speed problems in Gallagher Way, Mernda for three years – it will be closed from March 4 until 2016 to create a pedestrian walk for Stockland’s Mernda Villages estate display homes.
