Published on Monday, 25 February 2019 at 5:10:56 PM
The City of Vincent’s 40km/h speed zone trial will start on 29 April in Vincent’s southern suburban areas. The two-year trial aims to study the impact of slower speed limits in residential areas, with independent research supported by the Road Safety Commission.
Over the coming weeks, 40km/h road signs will be put in place and covered until the trial starts. The trial will take place in local residential streets in the areas bounded by Newcastle, Vincent and Charles Streets and the Swan River. Main distributor roads will stay at their current speed limits, with the exception of part of Vincent Street near the Hyde Park water playground.
“Residents regularly tell me that they are concerned about the speed of traffic and their desire to bring back a neighbourhood feel to the streets where they live. More and more, I hear that 50 is just too fast for our residential roads,” said Mayor Emma Cole.
In July 2018, we asked our community what they thought of a 40km/h speed zone trial. It generated a lot of discussion with 392 people providing comments, 57.4% of which were in favour of the two-year trial.
“Our survey of residents revealed two main concerns - making streets safer for all road users and enhancing the neighbourhood feel of their streets. We hope this trial demonstrates safer, more welcoming streets, where people are more likely to ride and walk, and kids feel safe playing outdoors.”
“Prior research in other areas has shown that lowered speed limits make streets safer for all road users, contribute to more connected communities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and only have a minor impact on average journey times. We’d like to put that research to the test and see if lowered speeds can have similar benefits for Vincent.”
A working party was established to provide guidance for the trial’s implementation, including the City of Vincent, Road Safety Commission, Main Roads WA, Department of Transport, WA Police Force, WA Local Government Association, RAC and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.
“The 40km/h speed zone trial is a great opportunity to research lower residential speed zones in Vincent neighbourhoods. The benefits of this research extend beyond Vincent and could have relevance to the broader metropolitan area,” said Mayor Cole.
For more information and to sign up for email project updates, visit imagine.vincent.wa.gov.au
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