1. Who will benefit from the safe active street? Safe active streets aim to make streets safer for everyone and are a convenient, easy and sociable way to get around. They are designed to create comfortable environments for road users with all levels of experience. Safe active streets allow mums, dads, children, senior citizens and others to make short trips on bikes to schools, parks, shops or visiting neighbours. They also have additional tree plantings to provide a shady and cooler street for street users. Aside from the improved visual appeal of the street, more local people will be using the street increasing the natural surveillance in the area and improving community connections.
Perth has all the ingredients needed for a great cycling and walking city – a warm climate, flat topography and outstanding natural beauty.
As the city’s population increases and more people live near centres of activity, walking and cycling can play a big part in helping to reduce congestion, improve air quality, support local business and encourage a healthy, active lifestyle.
The Transport Portfolio’s Cycling Network Plan prepared as part of Transport @ 3.5 Million - the Perth and Peel transport plan for 3.5 million people and beyond ensures more emphasis is being placed on providing high quality, safe and comfortable cycling infrastructure that is integrated with public transport services.
There are a number of different types of cycling infrastructure that contribute to the make-up of the cycling network including on-road paths, off-road paths, lake and river crossings and safe active streets.
The Plan is available on the Department of Transport’s website.
The project is being partly funded by the Department of Transport’s Safe Active Streets Program. More information about this program can be found on the Department of Transport’s website.
Yes, there will be some inconvenience during the construction stages, however it is not anticipated that there will be any inconvenience once the works have been completed. This project aims to increase residential amenity by creating a quieter and safer environment.
International research has shown that more people will ride bikes when they feel safe, and that bike routes on streets where speeds are slowed to 30 km/h are recommended to maximise safety and increase bike riding.
The Department of Transport is working with local government authorities to deliver a plan across Perth which will connect up a network of bike-friendly routes – safe active streets form part of this network.
Not likely. The proposed roads do not form part of a designated route for established group rides, which typically use more direct major roads. Safe active streets are ideal for slow speed riding.
The street context and design, including raised intersections and slow points will not encourage groups of fast moving recreational cyclists.
When entering the street, blue-and-white safe active street road patches, 30 km/h speed limit signs and raised intersections help to slow traffic and alert people that they are in a bicycle and pedestrian friendly space.
Along the route, bike symbols and red pavement are used to mark out the safe active street and suggest where bikes should ride
The speed limit along the safe active street is set at 30km/h. Treatments, including raised intersections and nibs, are capable of changing the road environment so that motorists are only capable of driving at a maximum speed of 30km/h.
Yes, as per WA road rules a driver may overtake a person riding a bike if there is enough space to do so safely, they have a clear view of the road ahead and they do not exceed the 30 km/h speed limit.
The State Government has recently introduced new minimum passing distance laws to protect people riding bikes, who are one of our most vulnerable road users. A driver of a motor vehicle must pass a bike travelling in the same direction at a safe distance – that safe distance being 1 metre on roads where the posted speed limit is 60 km/h or less. More information relating to these recently introduced laws can be found on the Road Safety Commission’s website.
Situational examples of how-to-use safe active streets are also available on the Department of Transport website.
While the availability of unrestricted on-street parking will be affected, the City of Melville has, and will continue to work actively with residents to ensure their parking requirements are met.
The roads encompassing the proposed route are local access roads and most traffic is local in origin. As the existing traffic volume is low, it is not expected that there will be a redistribution of traffic to the surrounding streets
The safe active street treatment will discourage through or non-local traffic as it will be difficult to travel above 30km/h. While the route provides a direct link to local attractions and other bike routes, it has been selected partly because it is not major route for vehicle traffic
The width of the street remains the same as it was previously (except at the nibs). Access for tradespeople and everyone else is the same.
The Department of Transport has worked with the Public Transport Authority to ensure that school bus services operating along the safe active street route continue as normal.
The Department of Transport has worked with emergency services to ensure that there is no impact to their services.
The speed limit will be set at 30 km/h for the entire route at all times, which will support the design of the safe active street.
Research of international best practice indicates that 30 km/h is a safe speed for bicycles and cars to share the road space. By applying traffic calming measures to achieve a self-enforcing 30km/h speed limit, the safe active street will provide a safer, more comfortable environment for the community
Yes – the City of Melville will ensure this is not impacted, and will determine whether any changes to rubbish truck times are required (e.g. if there is a need to avoid peak commute times).
The City of Melville and Department of Transport hope to see more people riding their bikes, enjoying the safe active street and engaging with others and their surroundings as they make their way to school, the shops or the train station.
A range of activities, including local events, engagement with schools and workplaces and discussions with local businesses are planned. Please let us know if you would like to be involved by calling the City of Melville on 9364 0666.