The 40 km/h school zone surrounding a local school will now be extended, after serious concerns surrounding the safety of students were raised.
A series of changes will now be rolled out at St Patrick’s Marist College Dundas to address the safety risks of students walking to and from the school.
It will see the extension of the current 40 km/h school zone and an extension of the current 60km/h speed limit zone.
State Member for Parramatta Donna Davis, who spearheaded a petition for the school zone to be extended to Kissing Point Road, said the move will help to prioritise the safety of the area’s “most vulnerable pedestrians”.
“Kissing Point Road is an important road in our area, but it’s become increasingly unsafe, particularly for school students at St Patrick’s Marist College Dundas,” she said.
“I’ve been calling for this change to make it safer for pedestrians since 2017, so this announcement is a huge win for our community.”
The 40 km/h school zone area will be extended to include a section of Kissing Point Road, as well as Kissing Point Road approaches from Kirby Street and Sturt Street.
Signage and road markings on Kissing Point Road, Kirby Street and Sturt Street will be changed to extend the 60km/h speed limit zone between 172 Kissing Point Road and 220 Kissing Point Road.
The school zone will operate between 8am and 9.30am, and between 2.30pm and 4pm on normal school days.
The NSW Government said there will be temporary traffic changes to make sure the work zone is safe, with traffic controllers to be on site to assist motorists and pedestrians.
“The upgrade will make a real difference to the students of St Patrick’s and to the lives of the motorists, commuters and cyclists who travel along this busy stretch of road,” Davis added.
Additional road safety improvement work will also be carried out on Kissing Point Road at Dundas Valley between March 23 and Friday, May 2, weather permitting.
Identified as a hot spot for motor vehicle crashes, the work will involve extending the eastbound right turn lane by approximately 80 metres at the intersection with Stewart Street.
The State Government said the next stage of the planned safety improvements will include traffic light upgrades, as well as widened and improved kerb ramps.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.