By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Emerson School’s 23 years of pleas for a safe road crossing have finally been answered.
The pedestrian lights were turned on across the busy four-lane Heatherton Road outside the 400-student specialist school on Friday 3 December.
A ‘Keep Clear’ road marking is also at the entry point to the school, with a detector loop installed at the exit for the mass of cars and buses turning onto Heatherton Road.
‘No Stopping’ signs either side of the lights and brighter public lighting are also part of the upgrade.
Emerson School principal John Mooney no longer has to don a fluoro vest to play traffic cop amongst the streams of traffic.
No longer do students and families march 300 metres east to Gladstone Road to cross at lights, or more directly, run and dodge between traffic.
He’d once been told by the then-named VicRoads there needed to be a “death at our front gate” for a crossing to be built.
“To watch our students cross together today brought a real cheer.
“It’s really amazing. It’s happened.”
Also in the school’s corner were Greater Dandenong Council and Victoria Police Inspector Graeme Stanley – who was on hand for the opening.
Insp Stanley, in a letter of support in 2019, wrote of a “critical” situation due to drivers speeding above the 40 km/h speed limit outside the school.
Also there were the most recent three school council presidents Marita Crilly, Laurie Cooper and Heather Norman who collectively pressed for the crossing over two decades.
Another active supporter was Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams, who said the funding came from the joint state-federal $19.5 million Pedestrian and Safer Schools Initiative.
“We must keep local school children safe near our roads with new and improved infrastructure, especially near high-volume arterials – this pedestrian upgrade will greatly benefit the community at Emerson School.”
Funds are finally flowing at a school, which had not had major capital works for nearly 50 years since opening in 1973.
Last year, Ms Williams announced $15.56 million for an urgently-required stage one upgrade of the school’s Heatherton Road campus.
This would re-build the junior-senior campus, including new offices, learning areas and a library.
Current school council president Ms Norman had last year spoken out on its 415-strong student body vastly outgrowing the campus built for 144 students.
“The school relies on nine shipping containers to provide storage shortfalls for housing valuable equipment and resources.
“Classes are taking place in foyers.”
