Call for change to North Lake Rd and Marmion St speed limits gathers momentum

SPEED limits along stretches of North Lake Road and Marmion Street could be set for a change.

Last Tuesday, Melville councillors backed two motions put forward by Palmyra-Melville-Willagee ward councillor Patricia Phelan.

The first, which was carried 8-3, called for the City’s chief executive Shayne Silcox to write to Main Roads calling for a 60km/h speed limit on North Lake Road south of Leach Highway to Garling Street.

The stretch of road, which was used daily by more than 30,000 vehicles in 2013-14, is currently posted 70km/h.

Cr Phelan said the staged implementation of the Willagee Structure Plan and recent development of Carawatha Park had increased traffic using the Archibald Street and North Lake Road intersection.

“The right turn movement out of Archibald Street to the south on North Lake Road is very dangerous as a result of the 70km/h speed limit and the incline of North Lake Road,” her motion read. “This causes a serious safety issue for drivers as they often have limited time to cross the dual carriageway and it is only a matter of time before a serious accident occurs.”

Main Roads spokesman Dean Roberts said a full review would be conducted and a recommendation on the appropriate speed limit provided once it received a formal request from the council.

At Tuesday’s meeting , Cr Nicholas Pazolli said he was comfortable with the speed limit remaining at 70km/h, but added improvements – particularly at the intersection of Archibald Street – would be better addressed with traffic lights.

Melville technical services director John Christie said City officers believed the intersection could become a black spot issue but insufficient crash data meant the site did not qualify for funding for traffic lights.

The second motion put forward by Cr Phelan and also carried 8-3 asked for Dr Silcox to write to Main Roads WA asking for the speed limit on Marmion Street between Stock Road and Rome Road be cut by 10km/h to 50km/h. She said the change was needed to address dangers brought on by numerous developments and to make it safer for school kids in the area.

Cr Cameron Schuster said the motion made a lot of sense.

“(Marmion Street) is artificially narrow, curvy, it has crests in it, it has lots of intersections, it’s got a school and all sorts of other things, so to me it just looks like a road that should be 50km/h,” he said.

The section of road carried more than 13,800 vehicles each day in 2014-15.