City of Bayswater lights way on crossing

PEDESTRIANS could have access to another crossing point on Guildford Road in Maylands.

The City of Bayswater will investigate options for a signalised or grade separated crossing between Morrison and Belgrave streets, which has a distance of 650m.

Councillors asked chief executive Andrew Brien at last month’s meeting to develop a report for them to consider by November, ahead of the 2020-2021 budget process.

The area has residential properties, a commercial and apartment development under construction, businesses, the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple and Studio 281.

While there is a refuge island at the Ferguson Road intersection, the nearest signal controlled crossings are Falkirk Avenue to the west (about 250m from Morrison Street) and Garratt Road to the east (750m from Belgrave Street).

The distance from the Garratt Road and Guildford Road traffic lights to the Falkirk Avenue signal-controlled crossing is about 1.6km.

The Falkirk Avenue crossing was installed in 2008.

Cr Catherine Ehrhardt, who proposed the motion, said she wanted to have connectivity along Guildford Road and encourage people to walk and cycle safely.

“We need to start prioritising people over cars,” she said.

“I am quite often contacted by parents of children who go to the local primary school who live in this pocket who find it hard to (cross) particularly in peak hour when you have got all the cars coming.

“It is hard when you have got young children who are encouraged to walk or cycle to school and there is no safe way for them to cross the road.

“We have got no crossing guards and we have got no crossing points. You can cross at Guildford Road lights or you can cross at Falkirk Avenue lights… anything else you’ve taken your life in your hands.”

According to an officer’s report, about 33,500 cars travelled through this section a day.

Proposals will require approval from Main Roads WA, who control Guildford Road.

A Main Roads spokeswoman said any requests from the council would be assessed and considered in line with relevant standards and provide any technical assistance which might be required.

She said in the five years to December 2018, there had been 17 crashes in this section.

Of those, one driver went to hospital with serious injuries, three required medical attention and 13 involved property damage.

Road Safety Commission statistics show there were 34 crashes resulting in serious injuries on Guildford Road in the City of Bayswater from 2014 to 2018, with five pedestrians being hit.

There have been no fatalities on Guildford Road in this year.

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