THE unpopular diagonal diversion cutting a North Perth neighbourhood in half will be removed early after it pushed traffic into quiet streets and nearby laneways.
Vincent council installed the road block in February for a six-month trial to stop traffic diagonally at the Alma Road and Leake Street intersection, following requests from nearby residents to reduce traffic speeds on their street.
But the stats are now in and have vindicated fears from the wider neighbourhood that it’d just divert drivers into even smaller streets, including sending trucks into laneways which are ill-equipped to handle heavy loads.
Increased traffic
A Vincent staff report says “the trial has negatively impacted on adjoining and adjacent roads and laneways with: increased traffic volumes, increased speeds, increased heavy vehicles”.
Along with local drivers having to make lengthy detours to get to their shops, it’s been rough for walkers and riders too: the refuge islands were removed from Alma and Leake Street to make room for the diversion.
Resident Leon Firios, who’d organised the Save North Perth Streets Action Group, told councillors at the May 16 meeting that while the exercise was useful in providing data, “that trial has revealed serious safety issues that were just not anticipated when the decision was taken by the council to proceed with the trial.
“These issues are concentrated not only at the site of the diversion itself, but they fill into the surrounding streets, into the laneways, and even into Charles Street itself.
“Alongside these safety issues we’ve seen widespread community opposition to the diagonal diversion; it’s got no serious support among the large majority of the constituents.”
Councillors voted to replace the diagonal diversion with a raised traffic-slowing plateau like those installed at other nearby intersections, and the council has state road safety funding to pay for it.
Mayor Emma Cole said at the May 16 meeting: “The plateaux have proven, through data, to slow traffic in the area, and to be frank, it’s free, Main Roads are paying for it.”
Ms Cole along with councillors Alex Castle and Ashley Wallace were against the diagonal diversion, but were outvoted last year.
“My view is consistent,” Ms Cole said, “As it has always been, I fully support the removal of this diagonal diversion. I do regret the cost.”
The trial was initially estimated to $35,000 to $60,000, and it’ll cost $10,000 to $20,000 to remove which will come out of that original project budget.
“We should grab with both hands the offer from Main Roads to reinstate the idea of having the plateau there to provide that consistent road treatment throughout this particular precinct of North Perth,” Ms Cole said.
Perth Voice Interactive 
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