This group of mothers are among many Albion residents frustrated with the traffic volume along Adelaide St and are fearful for the safety of their children. 77615 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By NATALIE GALLENTI
BRIMBANK Council will consider speed humps along an overwhelmed Albion street but frustrated residents say it is not enough.
Adelaide St residents claim more needs to be done to curb the volume of traffic in the quiet suburb after Council confirmed it would consider funding road humps along the street under future Capital Works Program.
Worried residents believe that simple traffic devices will not solve the problem of “rat-running” on the suburban street which hosts two primary schools and a kindergarten.
Residents formed a petition late last year requesting the council to prepare a traffic plan for Albion to reduce the number of motorists using the street as a thoroughfare between Ballarat Rd and Forrest St.
Member of Stop Adelaide St Speeding and Rat-Running Frank Reinthaler, said speeding wasn’t the main problem in the area.
“Albion is only such a small suburb but it is completely overwhelmed by people using our streets as short-cuts, at least in the eastern half of the suburb,” Mr Reinthaler said.
A traffic count conducted by the council last October revealed 3401 vehicles were using the street each day. The figure, which included trucks, vans and other commercial vehicles, left residents outraged.
Mr Reinthaler said the problem was likely to worsen once work began on the Anderson Rd railway line grade separation as part of the Regional Rail Link.
The group wants to see Adelaide St closed off to Ballarat Rd.
“The basic idea is that if you need to come into Albion because you live here or are visiting, that’s fine you can. But if you want to cut-through our suburb for a short-cut then think again as we are no longer rolling out the red carpet and making it easy for you.”
Principal of St Theresa’s Primary School Rob Costin said it was a long-running issue and something had to be done before it was too late.
Mr Costin said an incident last year at the roundabout on the corner of Adelaide St and King Edward Ave, saw a speeding motorists crash into the school fence knocking it down. The accident occurred during school holidays.
Adelaide St resident and mother of two, Rebecca Spiteri said motorists did not adhere to the 40km/h speed limit and her children were often woken in the middle of the night by a “hoon.”
