Footpath fear

By Danny Buttler
THE lack of a proper footpath is forcing people to cross one of Pakenham’s busiest roads, a local resident has claimed.
Gail Gabrys has lived near Racecourse Road for the past four years and noticed an increase in both vehicle traffic and risky behaviour by pedestrians.
She says the thin dirt track that serves as a pedestrian path along the east side of Racecourse Road is not only a soggy inconvenience in wetter months, but is potentially dangerous.
Ms Gabrys said the lack of a footpath was encouraging people, especially those alighting from a nearby bus stop, to tackle Racecourse Road without a safe crossing area.
“There’s a crossing that goes across the end of Racecourse Road that leads onto a dirt path,” she said.
“It goes towards Barrington Drive but there is no path there.”
Ms Gabrys said people alighting from buses were faced with a difficult situation.
“At the bus stop there is about half a metre along the side of the road to step on,” she said.
“I’d like to see a proper pedestrian crossing down near the shops and a proper footpath from the only designated pedestrian crossing.”
“Then everyone wouldn’t have to walk through mud or along the road.”
Ms Gabrys said she feared for those who made the hazardous trip across Racecourse Road.
“I’ve seen people try to cross the road in front of the caravan park and I’ve seen people dodging cars,” she said.
A spokeswoman for VicRoads said people using the bus stop had a traffic light crossing close enough for easy use.
“Pedestrians alighting at the bus stop on the east side of Racecourse Road wishing to cross to the west side have traffic signals located approximately 80 metres away, which provides a safe crossing of Racecourse Road,” she said.
“Consequently there is no proposal to provide another crossing in this vicinity.”
VicRoads said any issues pertaining to footpaths should be dealt with by council.
Cardinia Shire Council spokesperson Paul Dunlop said works to upgrade the footpath from the east side of the Princes Highway to Racecourse Road North were scheduled as part of council’s five-year future footpath program.
“This project will involve the installation of a 150m stretch of concrete footpath, providing an important pedestrian link for residents,” Mr Dunlop said.
“In the meantime, we encourage residents to use the footpath that exists on the western side of Racecourse Road.”
The council will spend $400,000 across Cardinia Shire during the 2010–11 financial year on a range of new footpath projects.
Mr Dunlop said one of the highest priorities in Pakenham was a footpath to provide safe pedestrian access between Bald Hill Road and Railway Avenue.