Road Safety & Parking

Motorists

As you may or may not be aware, the School Council has been engaged in ongoing discussion with Whitehorse City Council about traffic management around the school for around 6 - 12 months. With an increase in students attending school in 2020 and 2021, at times, traffic congestion around the school has been difficult to navigate and this has created some frustration for some motorists as they attempt to pick up their children.

Last year, the Education Subcommittee drafted some practical suggestions for a School Council working party to elaborate and formalise into a written submission to local authorities and key traffic stakeholders within the community.

The traffic management suggestions included:

Reminding parents, that parking in front of the yellow line on the west side of Florence Street impedes vehicles form turning right from Milton Street. It also creates congestion and incurs a fine.
Ensuring that Whitehorse Council Car parking attendants visit the school regularly.
Teachers on duty actively directing the flow of traffic to ensure a continual movement.
Reminding parents that the area in front of the school is a ‘Pick Up’ and ‘Drop Off’ area only, it is a ‘No Parking’ zone. If a child is not present on the footpath, parents are not permitted to park and wait. Any car waiting for a period of two minutes or more will incur a fine. Similarly parents are not permitted to park and leave their vehicle to go in the school grounds, parents moving more than 2 meters away from their vehicles will be fined.
Encouraging students to walk and ride to school
Encouraging parents to park away from the school in nearby streets and walk in.
Encouraging parents to stagger their pick up times from 3:30pm – 3:45pm (There is always a teacher on duty on the road between 3:30pm -3:45pm)
Teachers on duty encourage cars to keep moving down to fill up space.
Teachers to inform drivers of illegal activity.
Recommendation for Whitehorse Council to change signage in front of driveway. (This is currently a no stopping zone) Any cars stopping in this area to pick up students will be fined.
Requesting that buses park in adjacent roads prior to 9:00am for camps and excursions that have a pick up time after 9:00am.

In response to our traffic management suggestions we have noted improved traffic flow, particularly, at the end of the day. It has also been pleasing to note that the Whitehorse City Council has listened to our recommendations and has duly erected ‘Kiss & Drop’ signs in the no parking areas at the front of the school. We would like to thank the Whitehorse City Council for their assistance in this matter along with the motorists who pick their children up in the afternoons who have been adhering to the new signage.

Please be reminded that it is an offence to:

Move more than three meters away from your car when parked in the 2 minute drop and go section (Infringement penalty, $78.00)

Park in restricted “No Stopping” areas as designated by the yellow lines and signs on the side of the road. (Infringement penalty $158.00)

Adherence to local road rules and regulations will ensure the continued safety and ease of traffic flow for the students and families of Blackburn Lake Primary School. Please be advised that teachers on duty out on the road will kindly ask motorists to adhere to the rules at all times in the interest of creating a continued safe flow of traffic for all community members.

Pedestrians

Please be reminded that there are specified ‘Drop Off’ areas outside the school grounds. Dropping your child off at an unspecified drop off location and having them walk across the road without the aid of the crossing supervisor puts your child and others at risk. Please model and encourage your children to use the Supervised School Crossing at all times.