Brakes pumped on creating safe stopping points for cyclists in East Fremantle
Brakes have been tightened under pressure from East Fremantle residents to create safe stopping points for cyclists.
At the town’s annual voter meeting in January, residents voted to consider installing “bike boxes” at four highway intersections.
Cyclist boxes are green-surfaced areas marked with a bicycle symbol, located in front of signalized intersections.
It allows cyclists to stand in front of cars and wait for the green signal, making them more visible to drivers.
The electorate called for them to be installed at the Preston Point Road/Canning Highway, Petra Street/Canning Highway, East Street/Canning Highway and Marmion Street/Stirling Highway junctions.
But councilors voted unanimously at their meeting on November 18 not to proceed with them after a staff report said they would not provide value for money.
It was stated that the cost of cyclist boxes at the proposed intersections would range from $200,000 to $480,000.
Their installation generally requires a combination of new signal poles, new signal beacons, traffic loop repositioning, signal controller updates and resurfacing, including green surfacing, the report said.
He said the expenditure was not justified given the low or negative safety benefits it would bring.
Concerns included that it would encourage cyclists to merge into traffic in an inappropriate environment.
The Eastern Avenue/Canning Highway intersection was not considered as it is not controlled by traffic lights.
There have been no recorded bicycle accidents at intersections in the last five years.
Cr Cliff Collinson said he had “very reluctantly” agreed not to proceed with the boxes.
“I thought it would just be putting some paint on the road and that was it,” he said.
“Actually implementing this would be in the ‘too difficult’ basket.”
Cr Rebecca Cutter said she supported the town’s provision of cycling infrastructure.
“This isn’t about saying no to cycling infrastructure, just this specific recommendation,” he said.
The town has allocated money for the development of a bike path connection from Preston Point Road to Riverside Road in 2025-26.
