Roading feedback sought

Safety improvements for school children are among roading options on which the Gore District Council is seeking feedback from Pomona St residents.

At its meeting this week, the council operations committee accepted a recommendation to consult property owners on five options for the street's layout including keeping the status quo, trialling intersection splitter islands for pedestrians at each end of the street, and protecting existing grass verges and street trees with concrete kerbing.

Residents in the busy West Gore street approached the council six years ago requesting the grass verges be removed to provide more on-street parking.

However, there had been a freeze on the removal of grass verges in urban streets while the council's streetscape strategy was developed. The strategy's adoption earlier this year opened the way for the Pomona St layout to be assessed.

Council roading manager Murray Hasler said a comprehensive report by traffic engineers Gabites Porter found the removal of grass plots and trees would make Pomona St less safe, which had been the case in Anzac St.

The committee's recommendation will go before the council next month for approval. The council hopes to start consulting property owners early next year.