CELEBRATE SUCCESS: 600 days since a reported traffic safety incident involving a student and a vehicle (@12/3/2024)

22nd July 2022 was the most recent traffic safety incident involving a student and a motor vehicle. It occurred during school pick up time (3:30pm to 4pm).

During Tuesday's Balwyn North Primary School school council meeting, I announced that we successfully completed the entirety of 2023 without any traffic safety incidents involving BNPS students.

As of 12th March, 2024, there have been 600 consecutive days without any reported traffic safety incidents involving BNPS students and motor vehicles.

This remarkable achievement underscores the effectiveness of our collaborative efforts between Balwyn High School and Balwyn North Primary School . The student-led initiatives have proven to be particularly impactful.

Let's continue to prioritize traffic safety, leveraging the significant contributions of Jim Hondrakis and the City of Boroondara team as they advance major traffic safety improvements pending approval from the Department of Transport. Additionally, we are poised to introduce the Traffic Safety Pledge, translated into multiple languages, as a complementary measure to accompany these substantial traffic safety enhancements. This is our Ace card which was a student led pledge!

We are already enjoying the improvements already implemented by City of Boroondara . The list includes but is not limited to:

1. Dedicated bus parking on Buchanan Avenue to allow safe zones for students at BHS & BNPS to board buses destined for Hamer Hall, inter-school sports, camps & excursions
2. Improved parking for people with disabilities (no longer near a roundabout)
3. Consistency of timed parking along Buchanan Avenue and Maud Street.
4. Kiss & go signage provides parking to more parents dropping off / picking up students in vehicles
5. A City of Boroondara recruitment campaign to recruit more traffic safety supervisors to ensure that we are closer to having no shift unfilled by a pedestrian safety supervisor
6. Refreshed yellow paint to clearly mark out the traffic safety supervisor crossings
7. Extended barrier fencing along Maud Street (near the school crossing) to protect pedestrians from vehicles approaching the school crossing
8. Extending the stopping distance between the roundabout on Maud St/Buchanan Avenue and the first parking bay on Maud Street which now reduces congestion that at the roundabout. The list goes on!

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to City of Boroondara , Victoria Police , the school leadership teams, school councils and parents at Balwyn High School and Balwyn North Primary School for their unwavering support in implementing the transformative changes advocated by our BNPS Traffic Kids and students from Balwyn North Primary School and Balwyn High School. Together, we are creating a ripple effect of positive change.

Special shout out to Dora Kordakis Tiffany Fryett Aden Young Christopher Thelwell Bill Young Udarie Kodituwakku, Suzie Paddock and James Cleaver who are the parents who dedicated Monday nights to work together and give our kids a voice at the decision making table. Team effort!