Council maintains that speed humps are not warranted. Yet, driving through the more affluent areas of North Shepparton, particularly Orr St and surrounding residential streets, I observe traffic-calming measures already in place.
While the council has agreed to install speed-limit signs along Ashenden St, it continues to reject the installation of speed-calming road measures. Although signage is a welcome step, signs alone may do little to deter motorists who already disregard speed limits.
This raises the question of why more effective physical traffic-calming measures are considered unnecessary, particularly when similar measures have been installed in more affluent residential areas of Shepparton/Mooroopna.
This raises an important question: Why are some residential streets afforded greater road safety protection than others?
Ashenden St is a long, wide residential road increasingly used as a thoroughfare. Council has previously installed temporary speed-monitoring equipment, yet no permanent safety improvements have followed.
Adding to these concerns is the growing concentration of community housing developments in Ashenden St and neighbouring streets. With additional social housing residential developments under way, traffic volumes and associated safety risks may increase further.
My concern is not about who occupies these properties, but whether the council is adequately planning for the infrastructure and road safety needs of an expanding residential community.
Residents should not have to wait for a serious accident before preventative measures are considered.
I call on the council to publicly explain its criteria for installing traffic-calming measures and why Ashenden St continues to be overlooked.
Road safety should be determined by risk, not by postcode, property values or neighbourhood demographics.
Katherine Lancaster
Shepparton
