Responses to Survey Questions from Shea Evans
1. What are your most important priorities to increase pedestrian safety specifically in the ward you hope to represent as well as in the rest of Moreland?
I’m all for the safety of pedestrians in Moreland – Covid has shown us just how important walking is to general wellbeing. I’m not going to profess to be an expert in pedestrian safety, but I am keen to adopt best practice strategies as recommended by officers, to help keep those walking in Moreland safe. We have seen how much people are enjoying walking around Brunswick, and so to keep our streets safe Council needs to do more.
2. If elected, what will you do to help reduce pedestrian road trauma in Moreland?
I want to act pragmatically and in the short term make quick changes where they are needed most. However long term, I’d be interested to receive a report on what the top danger zones are for pedestrians across Moreland, and expert recommendations on solutions. We should look at making the streets safer (what physical measures can be put in place) and making street users more aware (increasing knowledge and education of road and footpath use).
3. What vision do you have to actively encourage older adults to walk in Moreland?
Our elders often feel isolated and lose their confidence in being able to do things ‘like they used to’. One of the biggest complaints I have heard from Seniors is that the footpaths are a mess, and that they are huge trip hazards. What is inconvenient if you’re young and active, can be truly devastating when you’re older. I’d be keen to have Senior voices on advisory committees to tell us first-hand what their experiences are, and what would help them to be encouraged to walk in Moreland.
4. In what ways should Council increase its investment in the maintenance and improvements to footpaths and other outdoor public infrastructure to reduce falls injuries?
Council has recently increased its budget allocation for walking and cycling, in part because of Walk on Moreland’s great lobbying. Missing footpaths need to be established as a priority, we need to increase lighting in low-lit areas for safe night walking (especially on transport connection routes), let’s separate out walking and cycling budgets as both are important but need their own dedicated focus. There’s a lot of experts in this field, so let’s hear from them, and learn from the successes of neighbouring municipalities.
5. If elected, how will you encourage Council to implement proven street design measures to reduce vehicle speeds?
Let’s seek information from experts in this field and learn from neighbouring municipalities. Let’s have great community engagement so that we can hear from residents as to how they would love to see their streets transformed. We must use research and data to come up with solutions that suit the local area.
6. What measures would you implement to stop speeding near schools?
This is an area in which the Council could work more closely with the State government, to create greater changes around schools. This can be achieved by increasing awareness on the approach of a school zone and in traffic calming measures.
7. What improvements are needed for footpaths to make them safer for pedestrians after dark?
Footpaths need to be maintained to a standard, where they are accessible for people of all abilities. Street lighting should illuminate footpaths, and in cases where that is not possible, footpath lighting needs to make sure that pedestrians can see and navigate footpaths at night. Not only does this improve personal safety, it also improves physical safety in reducing trips and falls and allows pedestrians to be seen by other road users.
8. The majority of surveyed Sydney Rd. users support the removal of all on-street parking to make way for wider footpaths and protected cycling lanes in both directions. Do you agree with this and if so, how would you work to achieve this if elected?
Moreland Council should be using all data, surveys and research, in conjunction with the State government, to come up with a holistic strategy for Sydney Rd. The solution to make Sydney Rd a more accessible road to bikes and pedestrians needs to be a well-designed solution. With so many stakeholders, a staged change is what is needed. Assuring traders, changing parking habits, changing road usage and increasing bike infrastructure would create a changed streetscape and would eventually, lead to a safer and more pedestrian friendly Sydney Rd, which in turn can only promote a more connected and prosperous community.
9. What strategies are needed by Council, in collaboration with the State Government, to introduce a driver education campaign in regard to stopping for, giving way and slowing down for pedestrians at intersections, zebra crossings, school crossings and other hot spots?
A well designed and implemented strategy needs to include community awareness, across multiple languages in a community as diverse as Moreland. I’m happy to lobby to State government to see what best practices can be added to the driver’s education program to place a spotlight on pedestrian safety.
10. As the local population grows, so does local traffic and through traffic. How do you propose to address the competing interests of different transport users i.e. pedestrians, cyclists, private and commercial vehicle drivers and public transport (trams and buses)?
I’ve lived on Nicholson Street for years and in that time, it has totally transformed due to overzealous development. It feels like Moreland has accommodated more than its fair share of development, which puts a strain on all other resources. I want a sustainable Moreland, and one that is also liveable. As traffic increases, people look to alternative modes of transport, so let’s build them up where we have control, lobby where we don’t and create great alternatives. Let’s allocate budgets and infrastructure for all modes of transport, so we don’t turn this into a competition.
Walk on Merri-bek 