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Road Works Successfully Reduce Traffic and Speed on Farrington Road

Published Date: 18 February 2008, 12:00 AM

Major modifications made to Farrington Road, in Leeming, are having the desired effect of reducing the number of trucks and large commercial vehicles using the road.

Traffic counts taken following completion of the traffic-calming works late last year, as compared to traffic counts from 2003, have shown up to a 44 per cent decrease in commercial vehicle use along sections of the road.

The City of Melville undertook extensive road works to narrow Farrington Road from a four-lane dual carriageway to a two-lane carriageway and to install roundabouts at three ‘black spot’ intersections to improve motorist safety and residential amenity and discourage trucks from using the street.

Mayor Russell Aubrey said the traffic statistics were very positive. “As well as showing a decrease in commercial vehicle use, the data also shows that overall traffic volumes have decreased in both directions and that vehicle speeds have decreased along most sections of the road,” he said. “I hope these figures will help alleviate the concerns of the residents who doubted the effectiveness of the treatments and feared the modifications would cause traffic delays and blockages without achieving any positive benefit.”

The Farrington Road project, which cost $520,000 with additional State and Federal Government funding, was originally split into three stages but was later combined into one to have the project completed before the State Government introduced its proposed truck ban on a section of Leach Highway east of Kwinana Freeway.

Acting Technical and Development Services Director John Cameron said the aim was to discourage trucks and large commercial vehicles from using Farrington Road as an alternative east-west route once the ban was introduced.

Mayor Aubrey said now that the project was complete, including extensive landscaping and beautification works, the community was experiencing the benefits. “The installation of the three roundabouts along Farrington Road has also made it easier for the residents who live south of Farrington Road to get onto that road, which is their only way in and out of that section of Leeming,” she said. “We are also safeguarding the function of Farrington Road for when major development occurs with the Fiona Stanley Hospital and transport-oriented development in the Murdoch area.”

Reduced traffic Farrington Road

Posted by Sheryl Clark at 05 March 2008, 10:03 AM
The traffic overall may have been reduced on Farrington Road as it is only one lane, but no thought has been given to the streets to enter Farrington Road. It takes up to 10 minutes to turn left onto Farrington Road from Casserley Drive in the mornings as the que is so massive. To try and cross Farrington Road in the morning is also the same. It can take 10 minutes or more to get a break in the traffic to be able to cross.

Farrington Road

Posted by David at 05 March 2008, 01:13 PM
It is stated that “vehicle speeds have decreased along most sections of the road”, the journalist must be talking about west of the Freeway lights. Those of us who frequently use or just try to enter any of the roundabouts onto Farrington know what speed the motorists are travelling at & what a ludicrous statement that was. It is also stated that ‘Mayor Aubrey said now that the project was complete, including extensive landscaping and beautification works, the community was experiencing the benefits’. Russell, being a resident yourself of West Leeming why don’t you come down to Farrington road and stand there for an hour, a good hour. Anytime after 6:30am right up to 7:30pm in the evening Monday through to Saturday. I’m sure the school children would love for you to come down and for you to see first hand what a ludicrous statement that was & what they, like all pedestrians encounter while trying to cross over Farrington road.

Finally in the last statement I would like to highlight, “The Farrington Road project, which cost $520,000 with additional State and Federal Government funding” has had one major oversight in it’s planning. Yes - Pedestrians.
All we needed along Farrington road was several 'raised' walkways allowing for pedestrians to be able to walk across Farrington at safe spots with safety handrails either side of Farrington before they were to cross & a decent handrail in the middle. These would have night lighting on them too. There are five places that these could have been installed, which definitely would have had an immediate impact on all large vehicles getting them to use alternative routes in their future transit passages. This would also have a calming effect on those with lead feet as both motorbike or car hitting these with speed would be unpleasant for the driver and vehicle. Without these we have the motorist performing a mad dash between each roundabout determined to negotiate each roundabout at 60km and pedestrians having to run across Farrington because they don’t want to be hit.