Callum Godde, AAP<\/p>\n
A long-term state vision has stuck with calls to roll back speed limits on local streets and more bike lanes following a spate of disturbing deaths.<\/p>\n
Infrastructure Victoria on Tuesday 11 November released its third 30-year infrastructure strategy, featuring 45 recommendations and eight \u201cfuture options\u201d for housing, energy, transport, health and the environment.<\/p>\n
The independent advisory body retained a draft recommendation to lower speed limits to 30km\/h on streets frequented by children such as those around schools, playgrounds, childcare centres and kindergartens.<\/p>\n
It follows several high-profile pedestrian deaths in and near Victorian school areas in recent times, including that of 15-year-old Thom Hosking, 11-year-old Jack Davey and teacher\u2019s aide Eleanor Bryant.<\/p>\n
Infrastructure Victoria chief executive Jonathan Spear said the idea attracted significant public and media attention, but feedback was positive for nearly 80 per cent of submissions on the recommendation.<\/p>\n
Detractors either thought the body was referring to low speeds across the road network or suggested it would lead to longer travel times.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s actually really good evidence that\u2019s not the case for local streets in large towns and cities,\u201d Mr Spear said.<\/p>\n
Victoria\u2019s speed zoning policy was updated in August to make it easier for councils to create 30km\/h limits, but final approval still rests with the Department of Transport and Planning.<\/p>\n
In another move to promote safety, the body wants more protected and connected cycle corridors to be built in Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Wangaratta.<\/p>\n
Six out of 10 trips in Melbourne are under 5km but fewer than two per cent are made on a bike, with many people not riding over safety fears.<\/p>\n
Other notable suggestions were cheaper off-peak commuter fares and a 15-year plan to build 60,000 extra social homes.<\/p>\n
Two recommendations were added to the draft list, including setting waste levy prices for five years.<\/p>\n
The Victorian government is required to respond to the report within 12 months.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Callum Godde, AAP A long-term state vision has stuck with calls to roll back speed limits on local…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":284465,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[569],"tags":[64,63,784,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-284963","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-cycling","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/284963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=284963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/284963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/284465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=284963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=284963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=284963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}