The Andrews Labor Government has provided $30,000 to Hobsons Bay City Council for a local road safety project to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety in the Williamtown electorate.
The Greenline (Active Travel Corridor) Project in Spotswood and South Kingsville hopes to not only encourage walking and cycling as a great way to stay healthy and get around, but in turn foster a sense of safety for vulnerable road users in a city which encourages active transport.
The Labor Government awarded 22 Victorian councils a share of $1.4 million through the TAC’s Annual Local Government Grant (LGG) Program – improving road safety outcomes for vulnerable road users.
The Member for Williamstown, Melissa Horne MP said that “the importance of pedestrian and cyclist safety simply cannot be understated. This is an essential investment that is being made into road safety in Spotswood and South Kingsville to encourage safe active transport through the Inner West.”
The program, launched in 2012, encourages councils to work closely with their local communities to develop solutions to address safety issues for cyclists and pedestrians, in projects aligned with the Victorian Road Safety Strategy (2021-2030).
Local governments were invited in April 2021 to apply for grants of up to $100,000 for projects that focus on delivering benefits to at-risk road users such as pedestrians and cyclists across Victoria. TAC data shows that these groups account for almost 20% of fatalities in the past 5 years, with 28 pedestrians and 11 cyclists killed in 2021 alone.
The TAC received an overwhelming response to the program, demonstrating a grassroots commitment to improving road safety throughout Victoria. Thirty projects were selected, across an even spread of rural and regional, outer and inner metro local government areas.
Projects are split between two categories: 15 analysis projects, and 15 small-scale infrastructure projects. For a full list of 2021 funded projects to go the www.tac.vic.gov.au/about-the-tac/community/grants/.