Perth Voice Interactive

RESIDENTS have failed in their bid to turn Seventh Avenue into a dead-end street.

They’d campaigned for the change, fearful of extra traffic coming from the new bridge.

Bayswater city council rejected the 367-signature petition, voting instead to look at installing traffic-calming measures and parking an illuminated trailer that tells drivers how fast they’re going.

The new $9.3 million bridge replaces the rickety 1913 timber bridge, which had an eight-tonne limit, that carried 3500 vehicles a day.

Seventh Avenue Street Alliance member Dave Cockford says the Third Avenue bridge in Mount Lawley will be demolished as soon as the Seventh Avenue bridge is complete.

“Once that happens Seventh Avenue will become like a freeway,” he glumly predicts.

“Once a route is established in a driver’s mind they tend to stick with it.”

The Voice discovered umpteen signatures from people living outside Maylands on the petition, including one from Jakarta and another from Tribeca in New York City.

“The city will always make a careful examination of all the petitions it receives and will consider each petition on its merits,” mayor Sylvan Albert says, noting there’s no requirement for signatories to live within the city.

“The city welcomes all feedback from the community, regardless of whether this is coming from visitors of the area concerned or its residents.”

Maylands Labor MP Lisa Baker held a street-corner meeting with residents before Christmas and supports traffic-calming.

The replacement bridge will span more than 80 metres and include footpaths, accommodation for four rail lines, bridge guard rails and increased capacity.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK