As Victorian students head back to school, the Andrews Labor Government is making it safer and easier to get to class, with new innovative pedestrian crossing technology and electronic speed signs being rolled out across the suburbs.

Rolling out across the west, east and south east of Melbourne, 75 new dynamic pedestrian crossings will use sensors and high definition cameras to detect how many people are waiting at a crossing and adjust the crossing time accordingly – keeping students and families moving, and cutting idle time for motorists when crossings are quiet.

As part of the Labor Government’s $340 million investment in Victorian roads, the program is targeting intersections with high pedestrian traffic or near train stations, like Clarinda Primary School, St Joseph’s Primary School in Boronia and Heathdale Christian College in Werribee, as well as delivering 125 new electronic speed signs in school zones.

The upgraded infrastructure complements Victoria’s school crossing supervisor program, the most extensive in Australia – with more than 3,000 crossing supervisors supporting students to get to and from school safely every day.

As part of the Victorian and Australian governments’ $19.5 million Pedestrian and Safer Schools Program, extra electronic speed signs will be installed at 55 schools across the state ahead of school speed zones being switched on as Term Two kicks off from 19 April.

Some school speed zones are permanent, while others operate from 8am to 9.30am and from 2.30pm to 4pm on weekdays during term time.

Young children’s movements can be unpredictable and difficult to see, so as students get to and from school it’s critical that drivers and cyclists are aware and take extra care and watch out for pedestrians and children on bikes.

The dynamic pedestrian crossings and upgraded electronic speed signs support Victoria’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 which has a focus on protecting vulnerable road users, as part of ambitious targets to halve road deaths and significantly reduce serious injuries by 2030 and sets us on a path to zero road deaths by 2050.