Perth Voice Interactive

A PERTH-based lobby group for seniors and people with disabilities has called for the scrapping of a proposed roundabout at the intersection of Scarborough Beach Road and Green Street.

The intersection’s odd configuration has long been a bane of drivers and sees its fair share of rear-enders, but Sandbag convenor Tad Krysiak says Main Roads’ proposed roundabout solution will result in “indirect discrimination” against people with disabilities.

“Roundabouts are not at all friendly for people with disabilities, especially for visually impaired pedestrians,” Mr Krysiak said.

“Additional pedestrian signals need to be installed to safeguard them.”

Mr Krysiac says the roundabout will create a “blind bend” on the Green Street approach, creating an extra danger for pedestrians.

“Just to illustrate this issue further, this approach bend is a sharper bend than one in Mt Hawthorn at which an elderly lady was knocked down by a cyclist.”

He claims roundabouts are being reconsidered around the world, though the Voice did a fact check and couldn’t find much evidence.

“Despite roundabouts being a good option in certain locations, especially in new developments, a roundabout should not be looked at as a first option in upgrading an intersection,” Mr Krysiac said.

“This is because, while there are some advantages to roundabouts, such as channelling traffic better and reducing off-peak traffic delays, a roundabout is one of the most imposing road layouts in any location.”

He says roundabouts have slow overall traffic flow, can lead to low-speed crashes in congestion, eat up a lot of public space and put cyclists at risk because they can end up in the blind spot of a car exiting from an inside lane.

Mr Krysiac said Sandbag put forward its own suggestion of two t-junctions at the intersection which has says will be cheaper, quicker and would allow cars coming from Green Street to turn left into Scarborough Beach Road for the first time.

The t-junctions would also preserve several mature trees that will have to go under Main Roads’ plans and would significantly lower the discrimination against people with disabilities.

The roundabout was a commitment from former premier Mark McGowan’s steamrolling 2017 state election win, and Main Roads says its construction is likely to start later this year.

by STEVE GRANT