Residents in Cranbourne East and Clyde North’s fast-growing estates are calling for urgent traffic lights on Linsell Boulevard, warning that the road, currently their only arterial exit, has become a stressful and increasingly risky merge point during peak hours.
Local Sukhbir Singh Pabla has started a petition to call for two sets of traffic lights along the 3-kilometre stretch of Linsell Boulevard between Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road and Salendra Rise to help “break the continuous flow of traffic, reduce idle times, and create a much safer environment for all road users” during the long peak hours.
Two traffic lights have been proposed at the intersections of Linsell Boulevard with Casey Fields Boulevard and Broad Oak Drive.
At the time of writing, the petition, which required the action of the City of Casey and VicRoads, has gained about 550 signatures.
Residents in the Brindalee and Cascades estates north of Linsell Boulevard have only one exit—merging directly onto Linsell Boulevard.
According to Mr Pabla, morning peak hours now stretch from 6am to 9.30am, and evening peaks from 2.30pm to 6.30pm.
He stated in the petition that during these times, turning right onto Linsell Blvd (at speeds of 40-60 km/hr) can take up to 10 minutes, while even turning left has become risky due to the constant flow of vehicles.
“What used to be a simple 10-minute school run has turned into a stressful 30-minute ordeal,” he wrote.
“This situation has caused growing anxiety among drivers, leading to frequent near-misses and minor collisions.
“Every day, vehicles, children on bikes, and elderly pedestrians risk their safety just to cross the road to reach schools, playgrounds, and parks.”
Mr Pabla also pointed out that the situation had deteriorated sharply over the past two years, after the completion of Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road upgrades funnelled a three-lane surge of traffic onto Linsell Boulevard, merging into a single lane without any signals to stop the traffic flow until the Selandra Boulevard.
“My son goes for soccer training. His training is at 5pm. My wife hates it, not because of taking him, but because she has to go through that road. It’s horrible,” he said.
“They (relevant authorities) did obviously talk about traffic lights at Casey Fields Boulevard, but no one could tell me what they’re doing towards it.
“Just nothing. No information. They don’t seem to be doing anything to make it happen.”
Mr Pabla has reached out to local politicians via email to share his concerns, and Holt MP Cassandra Fernando got back to him with a response from the Casey Council.
Casey Council acknowledged the growing problem in a written response, confirming that traffic volumes on Linsell Boulevard have increased significantly, contributing to peak-hour congestion, delays and unsafe merge conditions for nearby estates.
Council noted that the Cranbourne East Precinct Structure Plan (PSP), Croskell PSP, and the Collison Development Plan include future plans to signalise the Casey Fields Boulevard intersection, while the Croskell PSP also proposes extending Casey Fields Boulevard north to Thompsons Road, creating a second access corridor for residents north of Linsell Boulevard.
However, Council admitted current funding remains insufficient to deliver the signalised intersection, meaning upgrades would need to be funded through Council’s Capital Works Program, or supported by State or Federal infrastructure grants.
Looking ahead, the Cranbourne East PSP also classifies Linsell Boulevard as a Potential Future Declared Arterial Road, flagged for handover to the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP, formerly VicRoads) and eventual expansion into a four-lane arterial. Council said it would advocate for the State Government to prioritise the road’s transfer and upgrade in the short term, though residents argue rising risks demand immediate, not eventual, signal controls.
When inquired, Casey Council provided Star News a similar response.
City of Casey Manager of City and Asset Planning, Keri New said Council acknowledges community concerns regarding traffic safety and congestion along Linsell Boulevard. “Traffic signals are planned for the intersection of Casey Fields Boulevard and Linsell Boulevard. Council has commenced initial planning; however, funding for this project is yet to be confirmed. The intersection at Broad Oak Drive is not planned for traffic signals.
“The proposed extension of Casey Fields Boulevard to Thompsons Road will be considered by developers in the future, as part of subdivision permits within the Croskell Precinct Structure Plan (PSP).
“There is currently no set timeline for Linsell Boulevard to become a declared State Road; however, Council is actively advocating for its declaration.”
When inquired, DTP advised that Linsell Boulevard is council-managed, and any upgrades to these intersections are the responsibility of the managing authority.
Another local Hanna, who preferred not to share her last name due to private reasons, said that she reached out to the Council last year in regard to installing temporary traffic lights on Linsell Boulevard and when she followed up earlier this year, she was told that these lights are very expensive.
“For temporary traffic lights, they didn’t tell me any numbers,” she recalled.
“They’ve got a huge surplus every year. They’ve got plenty of money. It’s just about how they’re spending it.”
Hanna also said the planning in the area is “just insane”.
“Houses before roads, and it’s just exploded in the last year, so the road’s actually not big enough,” she said.
Hanna said the worst gridlock begins around 2.30pm at school pickup and continues into the evening, often affecting even simple errands.
“Sometimes, after work, after 5pm, I would want to just literally come down to shop (Woolworths Selandra Rise). It’s like you’re waiting and you’re waiting, and you’re waiting,” she said.
“Even to turn left is really quite hilarious because sometimes there would be five, six, seven cars waiting to turn right, and you actually can’t get through to turn left. You have to wait for the people to turn right so you can turn left.
“It’s like an adventure. It was really quite disappointing.”
To sign the petition, visit: change.org/p/urgent-need-for-traffic-lights-on-linsell-boulevard-in-cranbourne-east-victoria
