Government must act to fix Blackburn level crossing flaws

There are no proposals for any substantial improvements to the current narrow subway, and the current plans will force cyclists using the new bike path to ride across the busy footpath right in front of the subway entrance – a huge safety risk.

To make matters worse, my fears have been realised that yesterday’s information session was mainly there to tell people what the government has already decided to do, rather than to listen and take on board what locals have to say.

There should have been discussion of options for making the station subway wider, and for opening up and aligning the subway entrances to provide better visibility and “see through”.

There should also have been alternatives on the table for the bike path route past the station. Whitehorse Cyclists and others have proposed that the bike path should run between the footpath and the railway line near the subway, going over the top of the subway entrance. This seems a much more sensible solution.

Other parts of the project also need to be sorted out, such as the traffic light set-up for South Parade, Blackburn Road and Central Road, including making sure Central Road traffic will still have opportunities to turn right into Blackburn Road once the boom gates have gone.

I’ve been trying for months to get the government to meet and talk about the best ways to tackle these issues, but so far the government has refused to listen.

As I’ve said before, it’s vital to get these sorts of details right. Doing so will make all the difference between a great outcome and an outcome that leaves the community with nagging problems for years to come.

If you’ve got views about the project and how it can be improved, please leave a comment below to let me and others know what you think.