Residents pleased with death road improvements

By Callan Date
BLIND Bight residents are happy about a decision to improve street safety in the coastal town but say more is needed.
The call comes after Casey Council voted unanimously on Tuesday night to drastically improve street lighting and consider constructing more footpaths around the town.
The council was sparked into action after six-year-old Logan Harris was hit and killed by a car outside her Warneet Road home in June last year.
More than 150 residents signed a petition calling for the council to undertake major improvements to Blind Bight’s lights and paths.
Petition organiser Andrea Brown said Casey still needed to do more to improve the area.
“We want paths all around Blind Bight not just in Warneet Road,” Ms Brown said.
She said Anchorage Drive heading to the milk bar was the most dangerous spot with cars unable to see pedestrians who were forced to walk on the road as the cars came around the corner.
Ms Brown said the installation of streetlights was a good start but more measures were needed.
“The girl’s death was such a tragic thing to happen. Now council is taking notice. We are actually being heard down here,” she said.
“You can’t look past the children. It is a lovely area to bring up kids. We just want to make it safe for everyone’s kids to grow up.”
Casey mayor Colin Butler said footpaths for Warneet Road and Gentle Annie Drive would be considered as part of council’s Linking Paths Strategy.
He said pedestrian safety had also been increased by a heightened police presence in the area.
“People are now slowing down and are respecting the speed limit,” Cr Butler said.
Blind Bight resident Shirley Wharton said paths needed to be installed.
She said they did not have to be concrete with gravel being sufficient.
“The street lights and paths are definitely needed. It is mostly young mums with pushers and older folk walking around the streets. It is very dangerous. You can’t have people walking on the roads,” Mrs Wharton said.
The former president of the now defunct Coastal Action Committee said it was great that the council had started addressing the issues but “we need to install paths on all the streets to make them safe.”
“You’ve got to think of safety first,” she said.