Dangerous Carramar intersecion: Main Roads reject proposal for traffic lights

WANNEROO councillors are disappointed at Main Road’s decision not to approve traffic lights at a Carramar intersection because of a lack of casualty crashes.

They raised concerns about the resolution and the proposed alternative of a roundabout at the Joondalup and Cheriton drives intersection at this week’s briefing session.

The City had an agreement in principle with Main Roads in 2011 for the installation of traffic lights at the intersection, subject to conditions.

After applying for State Government funding in 2014, it was told the agreement was no longer valid and a subsequent application based on current data was not supported.

Main Roads said signals were considered where an average of three or more casualty crashes (involving a fatality or someone requiring medical treatment) per year occurred over a recent five-year period and they would be most effective in preventing these crashes occurring.

Eight casualty crashes were recorded at the intersection from January 2010 to December 2014.

It suggested a reduced size roundabout be installed instead but the City held safety concerns.

Councillor Brett Treby questioned Main Roads’ guidelines for approving signals given they were installed at the intersection of Wanneroo Road and the entrance to Lake Joondalup Lifestyle Village in 2012.

“It’s the only set of lights that services a private driveway in this State,” he said.

“It’s all well and good when it suits them to apply crash data but it concerns me when Main Roads uses that technique to ensure we don’t get traffic lights.

“I’m happy for them to apply the same criteria across the board and I hope they did.”

Cr Samantha Fenn said she had lived in the area for more than 10 years and though there was an underpass west of the intersection it was often not used.

“I’ve witnessed hundreds of times children and adults running across the road either just east or west of that intersection,” she said.

On Wednesday, Wanneroo MLA Paul Miles and Transport Minister Dean Nalder announced the State Government would provide $200,000 to install the roundabout.

Mr Miles said Main Roads’ advice was the best option for road safety and to reduce congestion.

“Additionally, analysis undertaken by Main Roads shows that installing traffic signals at this intersection would actually result in double the queue lengths on Cheriton Drive as well as significantly longer queues on Joondalup Drive,” he said.

“This report also confirmed that the intersection operates efficiently during the majority of the day with only short periods being close to capacity.

“Hence, the signals would provide benefit for only one hour, 5pm to 6pm, in a 24 hour period, interrupting traffic flow for the remaining 23 hours of the day.”

Councillors will vote on the issue at the May 24 meeting.