Greater Shepparton City Council adopted the Shepparton Inner North Local Area Traffic Management Plan at the February Council Meeting, to improve traffic management and road safety within the area.
Council prepared the Shepparton Inner North Local Area Traffic Management Plan (Shepparton Inner North LATM) as a follow up study to the Greater Shepparton Secondary College Local Area Traffic Management Plan (GSSC LATM), which was implemented by Council in late 2021 to support the opening of the Greater Shepparton Secondary College (GSSC).
The Shepparton Inner North LATM sought to further review traffic, parking and pedestrian management around the school to identify and address any issues considered not to be resolved following the implementation of the GSSC LATM. It also sought to better understand the impact that the GSSC is having on the broader road network, including interaction with neighbouring schools and businesses. The Shepparton Inner North LATM area covers Balaclava Road to the north, the GSSC to the east, Nixon Street to the south, and Wyndham Street to the west.
The recommendations of the Shepparton Inner North LATM were formed through extensive public feedback and site observations, including a draft consultation period that took place between September and October last year. Council received 47 submissions to the draft Shepparton Inner North LATM, with themes raised including intersection upgrades, pedestrian crossings and safety, traffic volumes, parking and traffic restrictions, and cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.
The final Shepparton Inner North LATM report provides a list of 39 recommendations to mitigate traffic, parking and safety issues identified in the study area, including:
- Improvements to cycling and pedestrian connectivity on Hawdon Street between Verney Road and Feshti Street, and Balaclava Road between Bourchier Street and Numurkah Road
- Safety improvements to the Hawdon and Rea Streets intersection
- Installation of wombat crossings at Feshti, Harold, Oram, Rea, Skene and Thames Streets to improve pedestrian connectivity and safety around schools
- Introduction of speed control devices on Barker Avenue, and Bourchier, Clive, Corio, Dunrobin, Maude, Orr and Rea Streets to slow vehicle speeds and improve safety
- Introduction of kerb outstands and splitter islands at intersections along Knight Street and Balaclava Road
- Introduction of compact roundabouts on Rea Street
- Changes to parking, including line marking car parking spaces around Notre Dame College/St Brendan's Primary School, and minor changes to parking restrictions at certain locations to improve traffic flow and parking occupancy.
Mayor, Councillor Shane Sali, thanked the community for their feedback which he said helped shape the Shepparton Inner North LATM.
"The submissions we received expressed a need for improved road safety and traffic management in the area, and for improved pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, particularly around schools," he said.
"The Shepparton Inner North LATM is the first step in realising safer trips for all users in the area, regardless of how they choose to get around. The recommendations will promote active travel by walking and cycling, and improve the safety and parking allocation for vehicles."
The final Shepparton Inner North LATM can be viewed on Council's website at https://greatershepparton.com.au/
The key recommendations to address traffic, parking, and safety issues in the area will be implemented from 2023 onward. Some measures will require further investigation to prepare detailed designs and costings that can be included in Council's 10-year Capital Works Program. Council will investigate Australian and Victorian Government grant programs to assisting in funding the recommendations of the Shepparton Inner North LATM.
