Businesses concerned about speeding traffic and the safety of pedestrians have welcomed Stirling council’s unanimous decision to make permanent a 40km/h speed limit along a section of Inglewood’s Beaufort Street.
The busy section between Central Avenue and Crawford Road is a hotspot for hospitality businesses and carries about 23,000 vehicles per day.
A two-year trial started in July 2021 and was initially in operation from 7.30am to 10pm each day and extended to 1am on Friday and Saturday nights, with the speed limit reverting to 60km/h outside those times.
Inglewood newsagency owner Lyn Nguyen welcomed any speed reduction measures to protect elderly residents visiting her store or nearby Woolworths.
“Old people they always cross over Beaufort Street to buy the paper or they buy Lotto and they say they wait so long,” she said. “Because people speed too quick, they are scared.”
Pietro Gelateria’s Nikkhil Mukundala welcomed the permanent 40km/h limit.
“I think from just from seeing cars that kind of just zoom down especially past this intersection (with Eighth Avenue),” he said.
“I’ve seen a lot of near misses so perhaps the lower speed limit will just help mitigate that.
“Although I do feel that maybe a traffic light here might be better; but I think 40km/h is a good compromise.”
Another local resident supported the speed limit when she considered there were children regularly coming out of the library on Beaufort Street.
The City of Stirling’s trial found that the number of crashes reduced by 48 per cent, while the number of serious injury crashes were also reduced from an average of eight per year to one.
There was also a 40 per cent reduction in intersection crashes and a 62 per cent reduction in mid-block crashes (the stretch of street between intersections).
“The pre and post installation traffic surveys and crash statistics have shown that the 40km/h trial has been successful in reducing travel speeds and crash frequencies along Beaufort Street without any significant adverse impacts on the local road network,” a council report said.
“These outcomes are consistent with the objectives of the Local Planning Scheme to reduce speeds through activity centres and corridors and to make these streets more people friendly.”
Stirling mayor Mark Irwin said the city was pleased with the results of the long-term trial.
“We are confident moving forward with this variable speed zoning on a permanent basis,” he said.
Inglewood on Beaufort chairman Ben Kent said the group had been working hard with businesses, residents and the city to transform Inglewood into a place people walk and drive to, not just drive through.
“We advocated strongly for a lower speed limit as we knew it would make Beaufort Street safer, quieter and more appealing,” he said.
“The data proves this, as does seeing more people out and about and new alfresco dining spots along the street.”