The busy bike route that connects the Footscray shopping centre to the Dynon Road trail now has more appropriate speed limits for traffic.
The Hopkins Street route, which passes along the new population-dense Joseph Road precinct, has recently become more of a dodgem car carnival attraction than an attractive street.
Cars race down the hill from Moore Street to beat the next set of signals where bikes cross from the Maribyrnong Trail, or drivers jostle to position for the right-hand turn into Whitehall Street. Meanwhile, drivers coming the other way attempt to dart through a right-hand turn into Hallenstein Street at the unsignalised intersection.
Pedestrians are left to run the gauntlet, attempting to cross the street mid-block due to the lack of pedestrian crossings.
For bike riders, this section of road lacks connected bike facilities yet it has become an essential link as the Dynon Road trail had regularly been the only available route when Footscray Road was closed for construction.
The speed limit on Hopkins Street between Moore Street and Hopetoun Bridge has been reduced to 40km/h.
Additionally Dynon Road, between Kensington Road and just east of Dock Link Road, is now reduced to 60km/h.
Thirty-one crashes have been reported on this section of the road over the past five years. One crash resulted in a fatality and 10 resulted in serious injuries.
The latest initiative will also benefit from the forthcoming upgrade of the bike facilities on Dynon Road.
Signs will be installed in the coming weeks.
Maribyrnong Mayor, Cr Cuc Lam says the permanent speed reduction on Hopkins Street will complement the precinct’s future needs, with the ongoing development bringing more pedestrians – including children – through the area.
The Joseph Road Precinct in Footscray is an important urban renewal project, undergoing transition from an industrial area to a mixed-use precinct accommodating a combination of residential, office, retail, recreation, and public open space and will ultimately be home to around 5000 new households.
The City of Maribyrnong is undertaking improvement works within the precinct and has begun delivering bike lanes, road upgrades, installation of pedestrian footpaths and crossings, new traffic signals, and landscaping and drainage works.
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