LIGHTS - TREE- ACTION!

The story continues!

Our famous, often called the "hello" tree or the tree that welcomes visitors to the Yarra Valley may soon be converted to furniture! WHAT A JOKE!

Who cares what happens to the tree, just fix the intersection! There are hundreds of thousand of trees in the shire and there is nothing special about this ONE tree!

Let's get our priorities right, lets make the intersection safer, let's reduce the time cars sit waiting to join the flow of traffic on busy holiday times and most weekends. Increasing traffic flow efficiency will reduce more greenhouse gases than this tree would ever do.


TRAKEN FROM THE LATE ITEM >> Click on the title above to go to the full item agenda.


BACKGROUND
As part of VicRoads road improvement program $1.5 million has been allocated to upgrade the intersection of Maroondah Highway and Melba Highway to provide a signalised intersection. In order to meet traffic build-up that will occur as a result of the installation of traffic signals, widening of Maroondah Highway to provide an additional through outbound lane is proposed in conjunction with widening of Melba Highway and modification of existing splitter islands at the intersection.

The proposed works are expected to improve traffic congestion experienced particularly on weekends, holidays and festival events.

There have been 13 serious accidents at the intersection since 1990.
In order to carry out the proposed improvement works, road widening is required within Maroondah Highway.

PROPOSAL
Further information provided by VicRoads identifies that there is significant impact to the southern roadside of Maroondah Highway associated with the alternate proposal for works at the intersection of Maroondah Highway and Melba Highway. It is therefore recommended that Council approve the original VicRoads proposal with modifications as follows:


· that the timber from the removal of the Eucalyptus botryoides be utilised to create street furniture that could be installed at the site or in the general locality;

· that a bicycle path be included in the proposed works that would eventually form part of a continuous path between Lilydale and Healesville;

· that replanting of 70 new plants to offset the removal of the Eucalyptus botryoides occur within the existing road reserve adjacent to Dame Nellie Melba House in accordance with the attached replanting schedule; and

· that the existing 70 km/h speed zone for Coldstream township be extended to the eastern side of the intersection to improve road safety in this area.