Slow down on Erril Street

ERRIL Street trader Tim Skinner of Davon’s Vintage Barber is calling for a speed reduction and visible signage on the thoroughfare, with pedestrian safety his paramount concern. Erril Street as a built-up area has a default speed limit of 50km/h, however Mr Skinner believes this limit needs to be reassessed with a limit below 20km/h more appropriate for what is ostensibly more a carpark, albeit on-street rather than off. “Mansfield is just getting busier and busier, April was once again a busy time for Erril Street and the carpark was full continuously,” Mr Skinner said. “Regular activities at the Youth Centre, Men’s Shed and Buckland Centre all contributed to high levels of traffic daily, while long weekend traffic over Labour Day in March and the Easter weekend in April was on a whole other level.” Business owners and traders on the strip have all vocalised their concern, with many attributing speeding to the use of Erril Street as a short cut to High Street, the only way for one-way traffic to exit Ailsa Street. With traffic from the bowls club, Mansfield Kindergarten and Mansfield Medical Clinic all feeding from Ailsa Street onto Erril Street, the road can become quite busy during different times of the day. "We see and hear vehicles travelling at excessive speed on a daily basis," Mr Skinner said. "When discussing this with clients they are shocked to find out the speed limit is 50km/h." Mr Skinner also points to larger vehicles using the congested roadway, with a daily stream of freight vans, light trucks, refrigerated semis and a regular array of tradies and trailers all negotiating the space. A speed hump that previously existed adjacent to the Youth Centre on Erril Street was removed around five years ago, alongside work to the entry and exit points improving accessibility. Allowing caravans and longer trailers access to parking, the speed hump’s absence has exacerbated problems with speeding and increased road usage. Whilst Mr Skinner is advocating for a reduction in the speed limit, he also believes reinstalling the speed hump and installing Children Crossing signs (between the shopping strip and the Youth Centre) might represent a practical solution. Mr Skinner expressed frustration that despite correspondence with the council who appeared amenable to suggestions and empathised with the traders’ concerns, limited action had been taken with the issue still in consultation. Council confirmed their support for lowering the speed and cited traffic monitoring had already been conducted earlier in the year. “Erril Street is essentially part of a parking area so we support a lower speed limit,” said Mayor Cr Steve Rabie. Between January 29 and February 6 as students returned to the classrooms and holiday traffic dispersed, monitoring showed that most traffic on Erril Street is already travelling much slower than the 50km limit. The highest speed registered during the monitoring period was 32km/h and speeds were lower than 20km/h for 85 per cent of vehicles. To change a speed limit council must follow VicRoads Speed Zoning Technical Guidelines and get approval for the change from the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP). Cr Rabie said council was working with the Department of Transport investigating options to apply a lower speed limit on Erril Street. “We’ll give community members a chance to have their say before we make any changes,” he said. Council is hoping to finish the engagement and application process before the end of the financial year. If the proposal is supported, council will then apply to the DTP for formal approval. If approved, new speed signs will then be installed. Until this process is complete, the mayor has urged drivers to take care when travelling through the area and be aware of shoppers, young people walking to the Youth Centre, and people getting in and out of their cars. However for Mr Skinner and his fellow traders time is of the essence. “Whilst council is working within the statutory guidelines for planning and speed zoning, logically they do not make any sense for the safety of the community in this instance,” he said. “I reiterate my concerns regarding impending pedestrian injury.”

Slow down on Erril Street

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