By VICTORIA STONE-MEADOWS
FEDERAL MP Jason Wood has made a commitment to make the Mount Dandenong Tourist Road safer for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists.
Mr Wood paid a visit to Olinda on Friday 11 March where he announced he would find a way to secure funding to improve roads in the Dandenongs for shared use.
“I want to work with the local council and the State Government to increase the shoulder of the road in places and look at the possibility for a bike lane,” Mr Wood said.
Mr Wood said he had approached the State Government with the plan but it had been knocked back on funding.
“Rather than just saying it is too difficult, as the State Government has done, I want us to work together on a practical solution,” he said.
According to the TAC, there has been 24 road accidents involving hospitalisation of a cyclist in the last five years in the Yarra Ranges alone.
There has been just one cyclist fatality in the Yarra Ranges recorded in the last five years, but TAC records show the fatality was caused by the cyclist being “Run Off Road On A Curve.”
Local resident Jo Hirst said there definitely needed to be work done to improve road conditions for everyone.
“The roads just aren’t suited for shared use at the moment and it’s pretty dangerous out there.”
“I won’t let my kids ride their bike out of the road at the moment.”
Community education about shared road safety is included as part of the commitment to improve the roads around the Dandenongs for shared use.
“We need to improve these roads and encourage people to get out on their bikes because it’s great for tourism as well as people’s health,” Mr Wood Said.
Mr Wood also said making the roads more cyclist friendly would mean a better capacity to hold events like the RACV Ascent cycling race that has caused much grief to Hills residents recently.
Before securing funding for this project, Mr Wood is looking for community input on how local residents would like to see the road improved.
Mr Wood can be contacted via his website jasonwood.com.au if you have an idea you would like to share about how to improve the roads in the Dandenongs.
