Ballarat residents continue to raise concerns over the location of Public Transport Victoria’s new bus stops as part of the city’s network upgrade.
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New stops have seemingly popped up in several problematic locations this week, with residents claiming they have received little or no consultation on the works.
Brown Hill small business owners voiced concerns about a stop on Humffray Street North on Wednesday, while another Brown Hill resident Rachael Houtsma said a a new stop on Gracefield Road, placed atop a rise in the stretch, could limit visibility.
“I believe Gracefield Road is not safe and not adequate to support a suburban bus route,” Ms Houtsma wrote in an an email to The Courier.
“The lower end of Gracefield Rd that meets with Ballarat - Daylesford Rd has a tight dog-leg and provides no safe passage for pedestrians.
“Now I have a bus stop directly opposite my house that sits atop a rise with ground descending on either side of the roadway.”
Meanwhile, Donald and Gwenda Humphrey said they have been informed by PTV that a stop will be implemented outside their house – less than 100 metres from a busy roundabout joining Albert Street.
Mr Humphrey said buses pulling out of the new stop turning right at the roundabout will have to cut across an entire lane of the road and believes the stop should be placed several hundred metres down the road in a quieter section.
“The big problem is we are close to the round-about in Albert Street and Bridge Street,” he said.
“This round-about has just been upgraded before Christmas with a left hand turning lane (only).”
However, PTV is reviewing the location of the Bridge Street roundabout, given the changed road conditions.
“PTV undertakes extensive planning work to determine the best location for each bus stop,” a spokesperson said.
“Together with local council and the relevant bus operator we considered a range of factors before installing the new bus stop, including the safety of all road users and pedestrians.”