The speed limit along Smythesdale's main road will be reduced to 50km/h within weeks after locals petitioned Golden Plains Shire and VicRoads for the drop amid regular near misses involving cars, trucks and pedestrians.
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Local truck driver Graham Turnbull said the issue was particularly bad for traffic coming into town from the south, rounding a bend to find cars stopped to turn right into the supermarket, or pedestrians crossing the road to the shop.
"There's been accidents and near misses there all the time. As traffic comes around the corner they've got nowhere to go."
Golden Plains Shire Council infrastructure and environment director Phil Josipovic said council requested the speed limit reduction on the Glenelg Highway (Brooke Street) between Heales Street and Verdon Street to enhance pedestrian safety.
"The department reviewed this request and has approved a reduced speed limit from 60km/h to 50km/h," he said. "The final step in the process is to enact the change by installing the new speed limit signs, which will be undertaken shortly by the department."
Mr Turnbull welcomed the change, having fallen foul of authorities himself when he and his wife put up home-made signs on the road between the town's Rustic Cafe and Through the Gate Cafe where it is safer for pedestrians to cross.
"There's a piece (council) added on to the road to make it a shorter spot to cross over," he said. "Everyone was just walking straight across from the supermarket to the post office so my wife and I put up signs saying 'safer crossing zone'."
He said many locals welcomed the signs highlighting the safer crossing location, and took to using that spot to cross the busy road.
The couple were asked to remove the signs, because they were not official road signs, and met with council and VicRoads officers about their concerns.
Smythesdale residents have been lobbying for more accessible street pedestrian crossings for some time, saying it is dangerous to cross the highway.
Mr Josipovic said further consultation with the community and Department of Transport would take place, with detailed designs and costings developed, before construction begins on crossings in late 2023.
Council's Northern Streetscapes Project, released in December 2021, proposed among other things speed limit reductions and pedestrian crossing points in Smythesdale and nearby Linton.
IN OTHER NEWS
A Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson said speed limits and potential changes were continually monitored and assessed case by case. When reviewing speed limits, factors considered include the type of road users, surrounding road environment, crash risk and history, council and police recommendations, community sentiment and traffic volumes.
"We're currently assessing a proposal for a safer speed limit of 50km/h on Brooke Street in Smythesdale, with safety being at the forefront of any decision made," they said.
"Already 80 lives have been lost on Victoria's roads this year - we urge everyone to drive responsibly on our roads and look out for each other."
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