By Nicole Williams
Halton Street residents Shilby and Fiona Thomas, Margaret Schumacher, Lyn Wisnewski, Beverley Bell and Paveen Kaur are excited the new one-way traffic spikes have stopped hoons gathering in their street. 67010
RESIDENTS of Noble Park’s Halton Street are sleeping soundly thanks to traffic management devices at the Jan Wilson Community Centre.
As previously reported by the Star, residents of Halton Street were fed up with car loads of hoons gathering in their street each night for years.
Every night was marred with drinking, loud music, hooning, drug use and littering.
But it is now all peace and quiet thanks to one-way traffic spikes, a boom gate and signage at the Jan Wilson Community Centre car park that were installed on 16 June.
Halton Street resident Beverly Bell said it is the first time in 10 years that the street has been quiet at night.
“It’s taken a long time for all this to take place but it’s the most positive thing that’s happened to this street,” Mrs Bell said.
“We can sleep at 10pm and we can get a good night’s sleep for the first time. This is the best I’ve ever slept!”
Council engineering services director Bruce Rendall said residents expressed their concerns about this anti-social behaviour and asked the council to take action.
“In response to the concerns expressed by residents, the council’s 2010/11 budget included an allocation of $25,000 to address the issue of anti-social behaviour, while allowing legitimate night time use,” Mr Rendall said.
“The use of one-way traffic spikes allows legitimate users to exit a facility, while reducing the likelihood of illegitimate users entering.”
Since the devices were installed there have been no reports of anti-social behaviour, hoon activity or drug use at the Jan Wilson Centre car park.
“I’m very very happy with the peace we’ve had for the last two weeks,” Mrs Bell said. “As long as the peace continues.” But the joy of the Halton Street residents has been marred by cars getting damaged by driving the wrong way over the road spikes.
Mrs Bell said although she initially felt sympathy for the people who got caught when they first put the spikes down, she now wants people to realise the positive impact they had.
“We’ve got a street full of people who have put up with this crazy street and hoon behaviour for too long,” she said.
“If somebody can’t read a sign that’s their problem.”
“The people who use the centre will get used to going a little bit further up the street (to use the correct entry). It’s a change of their habits but its deterring the people who cause trouble.”
Users of the community centre car park must use the correct entry with a boom gate and exit over the one-way traffic spikes.
