City of Bayswater Bath Road Speed Limit Reduction

The City of Bayswater successfully applied for a speed limit reduction on Bath Road between Morley Drive and Walter Road West.

The request for an amendment of the existing speed zoning of 60km/h to 50km/h originated out of a Council request. The City reviewed existing travel patterns, vehicle composition, adjacent land uses and road geometry including installed local area traffic management measures.

In the City’s review it found that:

• A Local Area Traffic Management series of measures was implemented in the form of chicanes or 'pinch points' around 2010 and data collected post-commissioning indicated that 85th and 95th percentile speeds along the road are at or near 50km/h despite the 60km/h speed zoning.
• The proposed change in speed zoning from 60km/h to 50km/h is consistent with the Movement and Place characteristics whereby which Bath Road is designated as a District Distributor B road, it functions more analogously like a Local Distributor road with significant residential frontage, on-street parking permitted and close proximity to a primary school.
• There was a significant level of concern within the local community that the existing speed zoning is inappropriate along Bath Road.
• A review of the crash history for the five-year reporting period 2016-2020 indicated there were 16 crashes along the section of Bath Road between Morley Drive and Walter Road West of which 14 crashes occurred collectively at the intersections of Bath Road with both Morley Drive and Walter Road West.
• The City of Bayswater submitted a Black Spot application for the installation of a roundabout at the Morley Drive/Bath Road intersection in 2020 for funding in the 2021-2022 financial year due to the high incidence of right-angle crashes at this location. This was withdrawn and instead will be delivered by the State Government through an election commitment and is expected to be completed by mid-2025.

The City completed and submitted a speed zoning application in August 2021. The speed limit was approved by Main Roads WA and reduced to 50km/h in February 2022.

• Yellow advisory signs “Remember 50 in built up areas” were installed to signify this change in speed limit

The Road Safety Toolkit^[1] states that regulating traffic speed to levels commensurate with the road environment is crucial to the delivery of forgiving roads and has a potential casualty reduction of 25-40%.

^[1]https://toolkit.irap.org/safer-road-treatments/speed-management-and-traffic-calming/

City of Wanneroo puts safety first with new speed reductions

The speed limit along two busy streets in Jindalee and Butler has been reduced from 50km to 40km, in a push to increase safety, within the City of Wanneroo.

The City of Wanneroo applied to Main Roads WA for the speed reduction earlier this year, after concerns were raised by the local community about speeding and pedestrian safety along Jindalee Boulevard in Jindalee and Kingsbridge Boulevard in Butler.

Wanneroo Deputy Mayor James Rowe said he was pleased that Main Roads WA had approved the City’s application, which was informed by a comprehensive study of traffic in the Butler/Jindalee areas.

“Reducing the speed limit was identified as the most effective intervention for the streets in question, as vehicle speed was a significant contributing factor to road safety in the area,” he said.

“Studies show that reducing the speed limit from 50km to 40km significantly increases the chance of pedestrian survival if a crash were to occur.”

“The speed reduction will also provide pedestrians, cyclists and other active transport users with an improved sense of safety as they navigate the City’s local road network.”

The new limits are the latest in a series of successful applications for speed reductions, with similar initiatives recently being implemented in Gnangara, Jandabup, Yanchep and the Wanneroo Town Centre.

These speed reductions are supported by the City’s Road Safety Management Plan 2024-2030, which demonstrates the City’s ongoing commitment to reducing the risks of accidents and improving road safety for all.

Source: City of Wanneroo, City puts safety first with new speed reductions - City of Wanneroo, 15 May 2025.

City of Melville Farrington Road Speed Limit Reduction

The City of Melville successfully applied for a speed limit reduction on Farrington Road, between Karel Av and Kwinana Freeway.

In the City’s application, it demonstrated that it had reduced the traffic speeds on the approach to the four roundabouts to 38.5km-51.8km/h (85^th percentile) by installing speed cushions in 2021 and highlighted that it has a high place value with:

• a highly populated residential precinct and a shopping/commercial precinct that has direct access to Farrington Road
• on-street parking on both sides of the road
• two guarded school crossings, and
• a large number of pedestrians using the crossing facilities to access Leeming Recreation Centre, Leeming Shopping Forum, playgrounds, parks, bushland, Leeming High school and a child care centre.

The City consulted with residents and road users on the speed limit, receiving240 responses where two-thirds supported a reduction of the speed limit from 60km/h to 50km/h.

The speed limit was reduced to 50km/h including new signs installed in May 2022.

The Road Safety Toolkit^[1] states that regulating traffic speed to levels commensurate with the road environment is crucial to the delivery of forgiving roads and has a potential casualty reduction of 25-40%.

^[1] https://toolkit.irap.org/safer-road-treatments/speed-management-and-traffic-calming/

City of Rockingham Mandurah Road Section Upgrade

The City of Rockingham was a finalist at the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia WA (IPWEA WA) Excellence Awards, hosted at the Esplanade Hotel in Fremantle on Friday 14 March 2025. 

The City was nominated for the road safety improvements delivered by the Mandurah Road upgrade from Fifty Rd to Safety Bay Rd in Baldivis, completed in 2024.

Traffic volume on Mandurah Road has increased consistently over the years due to substantial development in Baldivis. The Mandurah Road Upgrade aimed to address run-off-road crashes (vehicles leaving the road and hitting roadside objects) and night-time crashes.

“The project aligns with the City’s Road Safety Management Plan 2023-2030 which includes actions to identify and deliver priority road improvement and Black Spot projects” City of Rockingham Mayor Deb Hamblin said.

“We are honoured to be included among other highly competitive entries at the Excellence Awards, and the City thanks IPWEA WA for acknowledging this latest step in the City’s ongoing journey to improve road safety.”

By reviewing the crash history of Mandurah Road in sections, the City was able to implement innovative treatments targeting the crash types prevalent in each section, rather than simply applying the same treatments along the entire road.

After analysing crash types between Fifty Rd to Safety Bay Rd, the City:

• constructed a concrete median island between northbound and southbound lanes
• installed street lighting in the centre median island to provide visibility and separate opposing traffic
• widened the existing unsealed road shoulder and constructed a two metre wide sealed shoulder to provide a safer recovery area, and
• installed audible edge line marking for an additional cue if a vehicle leaves the carriageway.

The City intends to install similar treatments on Mandurah Rd to the south of Safety Bay Rd in future.

Source: City of Rockingham, City Recognised at Engineering Awards - City of Rockingham, 18 March 2025.