Our media release seems to have provoked some attention!

The Maribyrnong Weekly ran a story about our concerns about the changes to Footscray roads - changes that appear to have been pushed through by the Regional Rail Link, VicRoads and Council without any community consultation about how this would affect access for residents.

We've been contacted by Council since, who have said "Maribyrnong City Council does not support new changes to major arterial roads without community consultation by the State Government...Council has relayed residents’ issues and concerns in relation to the traffic, pedestrian and parking impacts from this project to the RRL Project Team." They've also issued this press release (pdf), calling for community consultation and for the government to revisit the shelved Truck Action Plan, which is great.

We'll be attending various of the Council's planning meetings next week to make sure our concerns are part of their four year plan. Have your say, too.

Local residents also received a letter from the RRL Alliance General Manager Steve Cornish (pdf), which states that the road changes have "...not been made to improve conditions for trucks using this intersection", citing safety improvements. And further, that "these changes have been made in consultation with Maribyrnong City Council and VicRoads".

Safety concerns are important of course, and pretty much trump everything else (except when held by residents, it seems). But where were the options? Where was the discussion of community impact? And we're not sure why these safety issues couldn't have been addressed in a way that also took into account local traffic needs, and pedestrian and bike access. We've always been told there was no scope to improve pedestrian and bike access over the Hopkins Street bridge as part of the RRL works - why not? When traffic access was and is always clearly on the agenda?

The RRL letter helpfully goes on to say that "When work is complete, the existing [dangerous and unsatisfactory] pedestrian and cyclist conditions will be fully restored at these intersections [hurrah!]. As part of this section of the project, improvements are being made to pedestrian and cycling access including wide overpasses and ramps at West Footscray and Sunshine railway stations, changes to the West Footscray precinct, and new pedestrian operated signals at Ashley Street in Tottenham to connect the existing bike path."

Well, that's great for West Footscray, Sunshine and Tottenham - but we're unlikely to go quite that far to cross a road to get to our school or station...