The council’s suggested speed limit cut would apply to a 1km section of Glen Osmond Road between Greenhill and Fullarton Road.

Between 24,600 and 26,000 vehicles travel on that part of Glen Osmond Road every day, according to government and council estimates, with the arterial road feeding in traffic from the South Eastern Freeway into the CBD.

But the northern section of Glen Osmond Road is also a growing shopping precinct and parts of it have been zoned to encourage mixed-use apartment developments up to five storeys.

The section of Glen Osmond Road targeted for a speed limit cut. Image: Google Maps

There are also two primary schools – St Raphael’s School and Parkside Primary – on Glen Osmond Road as well as a kindergarten.

Unley Council unanimously passed a motion on January 29 to write to Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Tom Koutsantonis and his department requesting the speed limit be cut from 60km/h to 50km/h.

There have been more than 50 crashes recorded on Glen Osmond Road between 2018 and 2022, according to government road crash data.

Unley Council administration said that planned urban development along the road, such as a seven-storey apartment development approved for the former CAPPO seafood factory, would increase pedestrian activity.

“There are significant pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicle movements along and across Glen Osmond Road, and this will increase and extend as land, such as the CAPPO site, is developed in line with the current zoning,” the council agenda paper states.

“Reducing the posted speed to 50km/hr will bring this most intensively activated section of Glen Osmond Road into line with other arterial Roads in Unley such as Goodwood Road and, likely, Unley Road.

“A 50km/hr speed acknowledges the intensity of land uses along Glen Osmond Road and aligns with its role as a place.”

The administration said bringing the speed limit down to 50km/h “will not result in a noticeable reduction in travel time for commuters, especially during peak commuting periods”.

Glen Osmond Road. Photo: Tony Lewis/InDaily

Unley Council also passed a motion in December to ask the government to cut the speed limit on Unley Road to 50km/h.

A government spokesperson said the Department for Infrastructure and Transport was currently considering the Unley Road proposal but was yet to receive the Glen Osmond Road request.

“It should be noted that the roads in question are major metropolitan arterial roads and the impact of any speed limit change warrants careful consideration,” the spokesperson said.

A 50km/h speed limit is already in place for Goodwood Road’s shopping, dining and school precinct between the Millswood Underpass and Goodwood tram stop.

An even lower 40km/h speed limit is in place for a 750-metre stretch of King William Road filled with shops and restaurants. The rest of the road is 50km/h.

Parkside Ward councillor Jennifer Bonham, who moved the Glen Osmond Road speed limit motion, said a 50km/h speed limit will reduce crash severity and give people “more time to observe what’s going on around them”.

She said a lower speed limit was important for preserving the liveability of the area.

“This is kind of a place as well as a road for movement,” Bonham said.

“So, to try to make sure that you don’t lose the liveability of that place, it’s important to actually have a moderated speed along there.”

Bonham said the time difference between the two speed limits would be “seconds”.

“At peak hour, traffic moves slowly along there already,” she said.

“But outside of peak hour, the difference in time between those speed limits for an individual traveller isn’t going to be significant – it’s not an impost.”

Unley MP David Pisoni backed the move.

“Glen Osmond Road – like Goodwood and Unley Roads – is a major shopping and school district with plenty of foot traffic,” he said.

“Road traffic has increased over the years as more motorists travel through Unley to and from growth suburbs in the hills and further south.

“I support the council’s move to reduce the speed limit on Glen Osmond Road, particularly in the shopping district and past St Raphael’s School and Parkside Primary School, to increase safety for pedestrians and school children.”

Glen Osmond Road accommodates roughly the same amount of average daily traffic as Unley Road (28,000), Goodwood Road (27,700 to 28,100) and Fullarton Road (26,600 to 32,000).

The government recently completed a $35 million upgrade of the Glen Osmond Road/Fullarton Road intersection, which has been the site of 37 crashes between 2018 and 2022.