A safer Docklands for pedestrians and cyclists

This photo is taken at the intersection of Footscray Rd and Docklands Drive, just down the road from Docklands Primary School.

Many locals have raised concerns with me about the safety of this intersection and when I was there recently, several parents and cyclists passing by stopped me to raise their concerns.

I know that many Docklands residents choose to walk or ride to make their way to work, school and social activities. Making our streets safe for cyclists and pedestrians makes us healthier, reduces pollution, and makes it faster and easier for everyone to get around (including people in cars!).

I was really pleased to be able to help get a second crossing supervisor for the pedestrian crossing at this intersection last year, which has made a big difference for parents walking their children to school. But there is a lot more work to be done to improve this intersection and make it safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

I’ve been working closely with Docklands Primary to push the state government and the council to make significant improvements to this area. We’ve recently had some success, with strong indications the state government will be funding some upgrades in the area, with details to be announced soon. If you’d like to hear more, or have any ideas for how the intersection could be improved, please let me know by filling out the short survey at ellensandell.com/pedestriansafety or sending me an email: [email protected].

Do you know of other areas of concern for pedestrian safety in Docklands? I’d also love to hear about them via the survey above.

I’ll be pushing the state government to fix dangerous streets and intersections in our neighbourhood and to make our city as safe as it can be.

I’ll also continue to push for more protected bike lanes across the city. I’m really pleased that the City of Melbourne is rolling out 40km of new protected bike lanes across the city which will help protect cyclists from accidents and car-dooring. I often ride my bike to work or community events and I know too well the dangers of riding without well-built bike lanes.

As we look towards the future, I know that cycling will become increasingly common as people look to mitigate their climate emissions and avoid traffic, especially as more cars are on the road now. We should be taking steps now to plan for a sustainable, climate-friendly transport system for the future. That includes fast-tracking the adoption of electric vehicles, investing in public transport and making cycling safer. These are all things that I’m passionate about and that I’ll continue pushing for as your representative in Parliament.

If there’s ever anything I can do for you, please get in touch at [email protected]  •