The western end of Healy Road will soon transform into a community-led pilot project designed to create safer speeds for people travelling along the Hamilton Hill route.
The Healy Road project is being delivered in partnership with RAC through its Reconnect WA initiative, which aims to create vibrant streets and public spaces for Western Australians to interact and connect with each other.
The City of Cockburn has received $80,000 in the first round of the Reconnect WA initiative, and the City will contribute another $20,000 towards the project.
City of Cockburn TravelSmart Officer Jillian Woolmer said the project would improve Healy Road’s attractiveness and functionality, making it safer for all users including motorists, families on bikes, people walking their dogs and people using wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
The street’s western end will be redesigned with temporary slow points, road markings and painted intersections, with installation due mid-2021.
The City applied for the RAC initiative after receiving feedback from local residents and users concerned at a perceived increase in traffic speed and volumes along Healy Road.
Ms Woolmer said Healy Road was a local distributor road and popular route for people walking and riding to work, schools, shops, Dixon Park, Clontarf Hill, Wally Hagan Stadium, Randwick Stables Garden, The Hub 6163, and public transport nodes along Rockingham Road, Carrington Street, Parnell Road and Hampton/Cockburn Road.
“The Hamilton Hill Community Group and the West Hamilton Hill Healy Rd Crew contacted the City to raise safety concerns along the road and to request that it investigate a green, active transport bicycle route,” Ms Woolmer said.
“The City will engage the community in a workshop to help design any treatments to be installed.
“The project will promote cycling movements between the proposed future cycling route along the BP Oil Pipeline easement and South Beach via the Hollis Park shared path at the Rockingham/Hampton Road intersection.”
The temporary slow points could include moveable garden beds and planters and coloured markings or way finders at selected intersections along the route.
The project will help the City address concerns raised by residents during consultation for the Hamilton Hill Revitalisation Strategy where there was overwhelming support for increased cycling infrastructure.
Following the installation, the City will monitor traffic in the project area and conduct surveys to evaluate its benefits to the community, and if deemed successful, may list detailed designed and permanent installation in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 budgets.
The RACs $1 million Reconnect WA initiative provides local governments in WA with funding for community-
based projects that change the look and feel of streets and public spaces.
RAC Executive General Manager Advocacy and Members Patrick Walker said RAC was proud to support projects which bring new energy and vibrancy to our communities.
“By trialing new and innovative ways to use our streets and public spaces, we hope projects such as this one in Hamilton Hill will help lay the foundations for longer-term changes which support safer, sustainable and connected communities,” Mr Walker said.