The City of Greater Bendigo has expressed a preference for improving infrastructure over reducing speed limits to enhance road safety.
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But city engineering manager Brett Martini said works could be a long time coming.
“It’s often about where funding opportunities are available,” he said.
He said the cost of sealing the road shoulders and creating bike lanes along the routes favoured by the community’s road cyclists was estimated to be in the millions.
The city has received federal Black Spot Program funding for shoulder sealing and road realignment about 500 metres either side of the intersection of Sedgwick and Storys roads in Sedgwick.
(MAP: Sedgwick and Storys roads in Sedgwick)
Mr Martini expected works to begin in the next couple of months, pending approvals.
He said the city was developing further Black Spot funding bids for sections of Sedgwick Road.
“Council has put funding in to seal some of those shoulders in recent years, along with other federal funding,” Mr Martini said.
(DATA: Responses to the Bendigo Advertiser’s poll, to date)
He said the city had been discussing infrastructure with members of Bendigo’ cycling community for ‘quite a while’.
“We are about to embark on a new walking and cycling strategy, which will include consideration of the recreation cycling aspect of things,” Mr Martini said.
But he said council also had other priorities, such as improving off-road cycling routes and infrastructure for commuters.
“It’s trying to balance up those different priorities where the funding opportunities come up,” Mr Martini said.
“Part of the solution is that tolerance and understanding of the different road users.”
He said all road users had a responsibility to use the roads in the safest way possible.
The cycling community had amended its routes over time as traffic on previously quiet roads increased in volume, according to Mr Martini.
“The reality is that, particularly in Bendigo where we have a strong cycling community, we'll continue to have cyclists – be they individuals or in groups – out on these rural roads,” he said.
The city is not considering reducing speed limits – a concept suggested by Bendigo Cycling Network’s Edward Barkla following a road safety event at the weekend.
Nor is VicRoads, which has reaffirmed its commitment to work closely with the City of Greater Bendigo to find the balance between mobility, community needs and safety.
“We encourage drivers and cyclists to share the road, drive to conditions and respect each other to improve safety for all road users,” VicRoads regional director Brian Westley said.
The responsibility for roads in the Sedgwick area largely falls to the council, but VicRoads is involved in reviewing the speed limit.
- How do you think road safety could be improved for all road users? Drop us a line at addynews@fairfaxmedia.com.au, send us a message via Facebook, tweet us @BgoAddy, or write a Letter to the Editor.
- CORRECTION: A previous and a print version of this article incorrectly stated the works were planned for the intersection of near of Mandurang and Springs roads in Sedgwick. We apologise for the error.