PEDESTRIANS and bike riders are risking death and serious injury at the Strathfieldsaye shopping centre, according to City of Greater Bendigo council candidate Helen Leach.
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Ms Leach, who is running in the Eppalock Ward, wants to look at ways of calming traffic at the site.
“You see the issue early in the morning and between 3.30pm and 5pm,” she said. “Strathfieldsaye people are very keen to be walking and riding places, they’d definitely prefer that to cars,” she said.
“They’re very conscious of environmental issues and like to walk and ride bikes, and that’s a good thing.
“But if you want to get from one side of the road to the other, you’re taking your life in your hands.”
Ms Leach said traffic lights could solve the problem. “That appears to be necessary, but I feel reluctant to say residents must have that if they don’t want it,” she said.
“I’d be happy for them to discuss options with me for traffic calming but I don’t want to force lights on people if they don’t want them.”
Ms Leach is also concerned by the five-way roundabout in Kennington, cornered by Townsend, Sommerville, Miller, Williamson and Sternberg streets.
“They need lights there at peak times,” she said.
“Most of those roads are VicRoads components, whereas I think the Sternberg Street exit is a council issue.”
Ms Leach said she was lobbying Minister for Roads and Public Transport Terry Mulder to investigate safer road options.