By ALESHA CAPONE
BRIMBANK City Council has listed the St Albans level crossing upgrade, traffic lights at Kings and Taylors roads and more car parks for train stations among priority transport projects in a new report.
Last Tuesday, the council’s administrators voted to adopt the Brimbank Transport Priorities Paper (BTPP) to help guide future advocacy to the State Government and other agencies.
“Congestion from rapid urban growth, combined with the potential threat of acute incidents on the Western Ring Rd, Wetgate Freeway or Calder Highway, have the potential to cripple the operation of the region’s arterial road network,” the report said.
The study said traffic using Taylors Rd had grown at 100 per cent across the past decade and the roundabout at Kings and Taylors roads needs traffic lights installed.
“The safety at this location is highly compromised due to the high traffic volumes and is extremely hazardous for pedestrians,” the report said.
The BTPP also said since 2000 there had been more than 90 reported collisions or near misses at level crossings in Brimbank, including six fatalities.
“These problems will only continue to increase, given the growth in the West,” the report said.
The report called on the State Government to upgrade the Furlong and Main roads level crossings in St Albans.
The report said the Main Rd crossing had experienced two fatalities and 39 near misses involving pedestrians since 2006.
Two Sydenham crossings, at Melton Highway and Calder Park Drive, were also on the council list alongside another two in Deer Park and one in Sunshine West.
In the BTPP’s section on trains, more frequent services, the removal of Zone 2 for Brimbank, the Melbourne Airport Rail Link and more commuter parking were listed as important projects for the area.
The council also said the Green SmartBus route, which was proposed to run between Chelsea and Werribee, instead terminates at Airport West.
The report said extending the service to Werribee would bring new bus services to Derrimut, Deer Park, Delahey, Taylors Lakes and Keilor.
