New push for traffic lights

By Casey Neill
CONCERNED residents have been waiting more than 20 years for traffic lights at a Boronia intersection.
The busy Mountain Highway, Albert Avenue and Colchester roads roundabout has again been highlighted as a trouble spot for motorists and pedestrians.
Eastern Victoria Region MP Edward O’Donohue will this week present a 610-signature petition to Parliament calling for traffic lights at the junction.
The MP said heavy traffic at the intersection made it difficult to access nearby The Basin and Boronia Heights primary schools, a shopping centre and homes.
In a letter dated 27 April 1982, Knox Council told a concerned resident the intersection was on a Victorian priority list for signalisation.
But because of the ‘small annual budget, it will be many years before signals are placed at this intersection’.
Boronia resident Clare Kohlman collected the signatures.
“There are always minor accidents here,” she said. “People just tear through here.”
Ms Kohlman’s two children, aged 7 and 9, attend Boronia Heights Primary School and have to brave the intersection on their walk to school.
To avoid crossing at the intersection, children have to take a detour of hundreds of metres uphill to a manned crossing.
Jenny Smith regularly walks to school with her children, aged 7 and 9, and two neighbours, 7 and 10.
“You take your life into your hands crossing here,” Ms Smith said.
Ms Smith said her children were never allowed to cross at the busy intersection without an adult.
She said if children could safely cross at the roundabout it would reduce the number of cars using the intersection and improve their health.
Mr O’Donohue wrote to Roads Minister Tim Pallas in November last year and asked him to review the intersection.
He also raised the issue in parliament in December. In response, Mr Pallas said VicRoads had investigated replacing the roundabout with traffic signals but improvement projects would be ‘considered and prioritised on a state wide basis,’ it was observed.
“There are currently proposals for traffic signals that, when evaluated, rank higher than this intersection,” he said.
He said VicRoads would continue to monitor the intersection.