THE Derwent Valley Council will share in state funding to improve road safety through speed reductions and traffic calming. Infrastructure Minister Graeme Sturges today told State Parliament that this was the latest initiative under the Government's 10-year Road Safety Strategy.
“For the next four years projects will be awarded funding on an annual basis, with the government allocating a total of $500,000 each year. With the local councils contributing dollar for dollar there will be $1 million each year for the program,” Mr Sturges said.
The first councils to have projects selected for funding by the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources were Derwent Valley, Clarence, Glenorchy City, Hobart, Kentish and Latrobe, with work due to be completed during the 2008-09 financial year.
“Traffic calming is an effective way of reducing travel speeds in urban areas and lower travel speeds provide protection for vulnerable road users including children, pedestrians and cyclists,” Mr Sturges said. “Over the past five years in Tasmania, speed has been a contributing factor in 26% of all serious casualty crashes in areas with a speed limit of 60km/h or less.”
The minister's statement did not itemise the individual projects.
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