“YOU just can’t make it, it’s a race track,” according to one Dalyston resident.
Describing his daily battle to cross the Bass Highway to get to the Dalyston Recreation Reserve 85 year old John Hill said he enjoyed his regular daily walk but not when it comes to crossing the Bass Highway without a pedestrian crossing.
“It’s the only way to get the Recreation Reserve and Community Hall.
“It depends on the time of the day, sometimes I just can’t make it.”
A local resident for 10 years and a local football fan John says it’s impossible to cross the highway on game days.
“You can try to cross at Tulloch Street and wait for an opening in the traffic otherwise you have to wait at the crest of the hill towards Wonthaggi.
“Nobody will take any notice,” he said.
According to John the population of Dalyston has more than doubled in recent years with 600 people living in the new housing estate with a primary school down the road.
“Dalyston just gets bigger and bigger.”
John wants a traffic island and pedestrian crossing opposite the General Store in Daly Street, or opposite Tulloch Street which has a children’s playground at the other end.
“Most people live north of the highway but the Dalyston timber supplies store, recreation reserve, basketball and netball courts and the community hall are all on the south side.”
John Hill wants a safe pedestrian crossing over the highway.
“If they can build a pedestrian crossing at Kilcunda they can build one in Dalyston,” said John.
“They spent a lot of money there, it’s the same traffic.”
It’s almost impossible to cross between the town and the recreation reserve.
“I’ve seen two bad accidents on the highway,” John said.
“It’s impossible for kids on bikes to cross the highway and we have a big primary school.”
In 2018 Bass Coast Shire in partnership with VicRoads considered a safe pedestrian crossing across the Bass Highway at Dalyston may be a medium to long term project.
“Young families need access to the recreation reserve,” said John.
“At the moment you can’t get to it.”
Recent safety and accessibility upgrades on the Bass Highway at Kilcunda have been welcomed by Kilcunda residents.
“The lights have made our town much safer for pedestrians.
“Sometimes during peak traffic times people trying to cross the highway just gave up.
“During the summer holiday period pedestrians waiting to cross the road often formed groups of 30 or more people, waiting for a break in the traffic.
“Thank you Transport Victoria for a job well done.
Bass Coast Shire explained the 2018 Dalyston Structure Plan recommended where a signalised pedestrian crossing is not achievable in the short-term. consideration may be given to other design solutions such as median refuge, installation of kerb extension, or application of different colours to establish a pedestrian crossing.
“These could be considered as short-term solutions where a signalised crossing is not immediately achievable, rather than being ruled out in the short term.”
Improvements would be subject to the availability of funding in collaboration with the Department of Transport and Planning according to Bass Coast Shire.
