If you’ve ever crossed Elgar Road to catch a bus or walk to U3A, you already know the problem. There is no safe crossing point anywhere near the bus stop used by our members. The nearest traffic lights are 400 metres away — an 800-metre round trip just to get to the other side of the road.
Every week, hundreds of people need to cross Elgar Road to reach U3A Box Hill, the mecwacare Simon Price Centre, Prime Garden assisted living, and the sporting clubs at Hagenauer Reserve. Many of them are elderly. Some have limited mobility. All of them deserve to cross the road safely.
Right now, they can’t. Traffic flows in both directions and the gaps don’t line up. Pedestrians end up standing in the middle of the road, surrounded by moving cars, waiting for a chance to complete the crossing. You may have done this yourself.
The situation has become more urgent
In recent weeks, two serious vehicle crashes have occurred at the Shannon Street / Elgar Road intersection, barely 100 metres north of the Box Hill Crescent intersection. In both cases, a vehicle left the road and ended up on the nature strip. Police, ambulance, and MICA paramedics attended the second crash. If a pedestrian had been on the footpath in either case, the outcome could have been fatal.
What we are doing about it
U3A Box Hill has been working with our neighbouring organisations to seek pedestrian safety improvements on this stretch of Elgar Road. Our Vice President recently met with Paul Hamer, the state Member for Box Hill and Minister for Local Government, who has agreed to request a formal safety review from the Department of Transport and Planning.
This is an important step forward. Previous requests from individuals were rejected by both VicRoads and Whitehorse Council. By approaching this as a coalition of affected organisations — aged care facilities, sporting clubs, and U3A — we have a much stronger case.
Mr Hamer has also indicated he will be supportive of submissions from community members.
How you can help
If you have ever felt unsafe crossing Elgar Road near our building, your voice matters. A brief email to Paul Hamer’s office in support of a safe pedestrian crossing will help demonstrate the level of community concern.
You are welcome to use or adapt the template below.
To: paul.hamer@parliament.vic.gov.au
Cc: vp@u3aboxhill.com.au, president@u3aboxhill.com.au
Subject: Support for pedestrian safety improvements — Elgar Road, Box Hill North
Dear Mr Hamer,
I am a member of U3A Box Hill at 27–29 Strabane Avenue.
I regularly need to cross Elgar Road to [catch the bus / walk to U3A / attend classes], and there is no safe place to do so. The nearest traffic lights are 400 metres away, which is too far, particularly for older pedestrians. I have personally experienced [feeling unsafe crossing / being stranded in the middle of the road / witnessing others in dangerous situations — adjust to your own experience].
I understand you have agreed to request a safety review of this section of Elgar Road from the Department of Transport and Planning. I strongly support this initiative and urge that a safe pedestrian crossing be installed near the Hagenauer Reserve bus stop.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your suburb]
Please take a few minutes to send this email. The more people who write, the stronger our case becomes. If you would prefer to write a letter or need help sending an email, drop in to the U3A office and we will be happy to assist.
For more information, contact Manfred Bartz, Vice President, at vp@u3aboxhill.com.au or 0421 289 267.