The suggestion is a response to the high number of accidents involving pedestrians in the central business district, with pedestrians involved in a total of 28 crashes in the CBD area during the past five years.

The city’s engineering and public space manager Brett Martini said the idea was in its early stages and council staff had not yet formed a view on whether it should proceed or canvassed the support of residents.

“If it turns out that we think there’s some merit in it we would certainly go through a community consultation process, but at this stage we’re still working through whether we think speed zones and other treatments are practical and viable solutions,” he said.

“We have had some pedestrian accidents within the CBD and so that’s one of the options that are available.”

The proposal was revealed in response to a petition from community members in Eaglehawk calling for the speed limit there to be reduced as part of a call for improvements to safety in Victoria Street.

The petition will be considered at next week’s regular council meeting, with city staff recommending councillors endorse actions to address the residents’ concerns, including reinstallation and relocation of current speed signage and trimming of vegetation.

Also on the agenda is a recommendation to adopt the Strathfieldsaye Town Centre Urban Design Framework and award the $2.5 million stage one contract for the Strathfieldsaye Community Hub.

Meanwhile the date of this year’s Bendigo Cup public holiday will be finalised following the vote, with city staff recommending Wednesday, November 1 as the most appropriate date, being the last Wednesday before the Melbourne Cup is run on November 7.

The cup has been held on the last Wednesday of October for the past seven years, but the recommendation states the later date of this year’s Melbourne Cup necessitates the move.

Pending the endorsement of her peers at the meeting, councillor Andrea Metcalf will also join councillor James Williams as a second city representative to the Epsom Ascot Huntly Structural Flood Mitigation Advisory Group.