Council approves 40km/h trial in Hilton

Fremantle Council has approved a 12-month trial of 40km/h speed zones on all local roads in Hilton.

City officers were asked to explore opportunities for speed reduction in July this year when Council adopted two policies relating to traffic calming and safe streets.

Community engagement on these policies revealed that traffic calming devices and speed reduction were their highest priorities for safer roads.

East Ward Councillor Frank Mofflin, who has led the charge for safer streets said traffic on residential roads is of huge concern to the community.

"It is incumbent upon us to explore as many solutions as we can to address residents' concerns regarding the safety of their roads.

"I look forward to engaging with the community about the purpose of the trial and the subsequent outcomes, to be better informed about whether this is something that we'd like to implement in an ongoing fashion," Cr Mofflin said.

Hilton was chosen for its residential nature and residents' interest in hosting a trial. The 40km/h speed limit would be applied to local access roads only, which currently have a 50km/h speed limit.

Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge said she hoped a reduction in speed would address some of the issues she’s observed recently.

"I hope a change to 40km/h changes the Google Maps analytics, which has been routing people off main roads, like Stock Road, for a supposedly quicker journey through the streets of Hilton.

"Of course, a lot of people who drive on local roads are locals – so if we all stick to the sign posted speed limit, then it slows everyone down to a safe speed," Mayor Fitzhardinge said.

Other Councillors spoke of the need to have signage in conjunction with physical traffic calming measures to be most effective.

The Fremantle city centre and South Fremantle already have 40km/h speed zones.

The City of Vincent is the only local government in Western Australia to have implemented a city-wide 40km/h speed limit. In its early stages, it has found a decrease in driver speeds and crashes and an increase in pedestrian and cyclist activity.

The trial is subject to budget and agency approvals. A report would be brought back to Council at the conclusion of the trial for Council to consider a city-wide 40km/h zone.