Southbank3006 committee demands action on dangerous road crossing pinch point

Our community is united in the call for safer streets and a traffic management plan for all of Southbank.

Nowhere is that need more urgent than at a dangerous pinch point exposing hundreds of pedestrians and cyclists daily to unnecessary risks every single day when crossing Kings Way at Boyd Community Hub to get to the tram stop under the Kings Way overpass at City Rd. It’s a vital link for residents in Kavanagh St, City Rd, and surrounding apartments but it is also used as the Citylink tunnel access for traffic from City Rd.

At the City of Melbourne’s recent Future Melbourne Committee meeting, Chris Trueman, the lead on traffic management and safety for the Southbank3006 committee, presented a clear, common-sense plan to fix this unsafe environment.

The area is extremely busy, serving a high volume of foot traffic moving between residential blocks – such as the new development beside Boyd – and the popular tram stop. Yet the road crossing is uncontrolled and inherently dangerous.

The core of the committee’s submission focuses on a two-part, cost-effective solution designed to create a vastly safer corridor.

Firstly, we are calling for the installation of a flat-top raised pedestrian crossing (a “wombat crossing”). This structure, placed across Kings Way between Kavanagh St and City Rd (right next to Boyd), would physically lift the pedestrian crossing, forcing vehicles to slow down and prioritise those on foot. This is a proven safety measure that fundamentally alters driver behaviour.

Secondly, for added safety, we propose that the access road be posted with a 30kph speed limit at the City Rd entrance. Combined with the raised crossing, this measure would transform the area from a high-risk zone into a genuinely safe passage for our most vulnerable road users.

As Mr Trueman highlighted to the council, the plan addresses a critical gap for cyclists.

We must safely connect the fully separated bike lanes on Kavanagh St with those on Moray St., he said.

“Currently, the section between them is perilous, an oversight that discourages cycling and puts riders at risk. The proposed measures would naturally ease this transition and ensure connectivity.”

It’s important to note that this stretch of road, between City Rd and Kavanagh St, appears to be a local road primarily under the control of the City of Melbourne.

This means implementing these vital changes should be straightforward, although we acknowledge that because the road also serves as an access point to Citylink, other authorities will need to be consulted which highlights the need for an integrated traffic management plan for all of Southbank.

Southbank3006 previously has called for the Victorian Department of Transport to act on this as a matter of urgency. Most of the traffic issues we face in Southbank involve flows onto and from City Rd into our local streets and those flows are controlled by the department.

The good news is that our calls are being heard at the highest level. Following the presentation, the Lord Mayor finished the discussion by saying that this was a “terribly unsafe environment” and that it was “vital to fix the situation”. Crucially, he added that the Southbank3006 suggestion was the “best solution I have seen” and committed council officers to following it through.

Now is the time for action. Southbank3006 will continue to press both the council and the state government to support this vital safety measure and to implement this solution without delay improving safety for pedestrians and bike riders at this key pinch point. •