Slow Down Before a Child Gets Hurt: Make Raleigh Street, Thornbury Safer
Slow Down Before a Child Gets Hurt: Make Raleigh Street, Thornbury Safer
The issue
Children shouldn’t have to be injured before we act.
We are urgently calling on Darebin council to install speed bumps on Raleigh Street to reduce speeding and protect young children.
Raleigh Street, Thornbury is home to two childcare centres yet it remains one of the only streets in the area without speed bumps or traffic calming measures. This is despite clear evidence - and standard practice - showing that reduced speeds are critical in areas where young children are present.
Across Victoria, school zones reduce speeds to 40 km/h because lower speeds save lives - pedestrians hit at 50 km/h have only a 10% chance of surviving, compared to 90% at 30 km/h (Department of Transport and Planning, 2024).
Raleigh Street has one 40 km/h signage which is difficult to see due to the treeline and no speed bumps, meaning it effectively operates as a 50 km/h road. Its straight layout, clear sightlines, and lack of traffic calming or visual cues (such as signage indicating children are present) make it easy for drivers to exceed safe speeds. In contrast, surrounding streets use speed bumps to physically enforce slower driving.
Relying on driver discretion in a childcare area is a clear and preventable safety gap.
Parents and community members have repeatedly reported speeding vehicles, creating daily anxiety around what should be a safe, routine drop-off and pick-up.
Council is aware of the issue, but funding has not yet been approved.
Given the presence of two childcare centres, high pedestrian activity, and documented community concern regarding vehicle speeds, we consider the installation of traffic calming measures on Raleigh Street to be a reasonable, evidence-based, and proportionate response to an identifiable road safety risk.
A group of parents and community members from the Raleigh Street childcare centres are coming together to advocate for urgent action and will be engaging with local government representatives who can make this happen.
We are calling for your signature to support the following:
● Installation of a raised zebra crossing between the two centres
● Installation of speed bumps on Raleigh Street
● Immediate prioritisation of funding for these safety measure
Every child deserves to be safe in their own community. This is preventable. This is doable. And it should be prioritised - now.
242
The issue
Children shouldn’t have to be injured before we act.
We are urgently calling on Darebin council to install speed bumps on Raleigh Street to reduce speeding and protect young children.
Raleigh Street, Thornbury is home to two childcare centres yet it remains one of the only streets in the area without speed bumps or traffic calming measures. This is despite clear evidence - and standard practice - showing that reduced speeds are critical in areas where young children are present.
Across Victoria, school zones reduce speeds to 40 km/h because lower speeds save lives - pedestrians hit at 50 km/h have only a 10% chance of surviving, compared to 90% at 30 km/h (Department of Transport and Planning, 2024).
Raleigh Street has one 40 km/h signage which is difficult to see due to the treeline and no speed bumps, meaning it effectively operates as a 50 km/h road. Its straight layout, clear sightlines, and lack of traffic calming or visual cues (such as signage indicating children are present) make it easy for drivers to exceed safe speeds. In contrast, surrounding streets use speed bumps to physically enforce slower driving.
Relying on driver discretion in a childcare area is a clear and preventable safety gap.
Parents and community members have repeatedly reported speeding vehicles, creating daily anxiety around what should be a safe, routine drop-off and pick-up.
Council is aware of the issue, but funding has not yet been approved.
Given the presence of two childcare centres, high pedestrian activity, and documented community concern regarding vehicle speeds, we consider the installation of traffic calming measures on Raleigh Street to be a reasonable, evidence-based, and proportionate response to an identifiable road safety risk.
A group of parents and community members from the Raleigh Street childcare centres are coming together to advocate for urgent action and will be engaging with local government representatives who can make this happen.
We are calling for your signature to support the following:
● Installation of a raised zebra crossing between the two centres
● Installation of speed bumps on Raleigh Street
● Immediate prioritisation of funding for these safety measure
Every child deserves to be safe in their own community. This is preventable. This is doable. And it should be prioritised - now.
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Petition created on 7 April 2026