On a slow news day, media provoked some chatter about reducing inner suburban speed limits to 40 km/h. It is already the case in some shopping streets at some times. Many of them are so congested with traffic that it is basically impossible to travel any faster anyway.
Each council decided their own speed limit timings but they are not their roads to control. All of the roads below are under the control of Vic Roads, the state based government department that sets speed limits. I ask of Vic Roads, why have you allowed all this absurd inconsistency on roads you control?
Let us look at Carlisle Street Balaclava, a 40 limit Monday to Saturday. So, on Sundays there are no drunks in Balaclava. There are no drug addicts. There are no stupid old people who walk in front of cars and trams. There are no children who might run on to the road. There are no young people distracted by their ears being plugged with music machines ear buds.
A little further along the road, there is a school speed limit that is different to every school speed limit in Victoria, thanks to lobbying of Jewish parents of the students. Good on them. They succeeded where no one else has.
As for the absurdity of school limits starting at 2.30 when the is not a school kid to be seen, but then finishing at 4 when there are lots of school kids around? Well, I can't imagine what went on in some people's heads at Vic Roads.
I am on a roll here, meaning I will rant. How about the median strip mowers of the great three chain Dandenong Road? An obstruction, such as a fallen tree branch does not mean get out and move it. It means mow around it. So we have a healthy growth of tall grass where tree branches have fallen, or any other obstruction to the mowing person. I don't blame the mowing person. It is how their contract is written.
This previous post about
electronic signage is Vic Roads' responsibility.
Malvern Road and High Street are both tow away zones during peak periods. Toorak Road is not. How lucky are the local Toorak people to only have to pay a fine and not get their car towed.
The street where we live is a Vic Road's street. It is their responsibility. They contract out one side of the median and nature strips to City of Melbourne and the other side to City of Port Phillip. Both have not done a fine a fine job with that, with trees nearly dying through lack of water. Both councils poured water onto them and then when a drought hit, cut the water off. Stop.
40 km/h limits.
Glenferrie Road, Malvern, City of Stonnington, 8am to 9pm Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday
Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn, City of Boroondara, Permanent
Burke Road, Camberwell, City of Boroondara, 8am to midnight Monday to Saturday
Carlisle Street, Balaclava, City of Port Phillip, 8am to midnight Monday to Saturday
Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, City of Port Phillip, Permanent
Lygon Street, North Carlton, Peoples Republic of Moreland, 8am to 10 pm, Monday to Saturday
Toorak Road, South Yarra and Toorak, City of Stonnington, Permanent
Commercial/Malvern Roads, Prahran/South Yarra, City of Stonnington, Permanent
All roads controlled by Vic Roads, but very inconsistent. What is wrong with them.