LOWER SPEED LIMIT FOR FREO CBD

 

Fremantle Council will ask the Commissioner for Main Roads to approve the lowering of the speed limit in the inner city, west of Parry Street, from 40 km/h to 30 km/h.

The Cappuccino Strip already has a speed limit of 30 km/h but the port city Councillors believe that cyclists and pedestrians would benefit from lowering the speed limit in that area of the CBD.

The desired 40 km/h zone from South Street to Douro Road along South Terrace in South Fremantle is also waiting for Main Roads approval.

Roel Loopers

GO SLOW IN FREMANTLE INNER CITY

 

Fremantle Council is considering to lower the speed in the CBD from 40km/h to 30km/h, west of Parry Street, to better accommodate all road users.

Conflicts between motorists and cyclists are common, and pedestrians are often ignored when trying to cross the road. Council wants to try to better manage those conflicts in the pursuit of better places and lifestyles.

1. Reiterate the benefits of balanced transport planning and management as outlined in the City’s Integrated Transport Strategy, including:
2. a. A more functional and sustainable movement network. 
3. b. More amenable neighbourhoods and streets.
   c. More successful activity centres and places.
   d. Improved public health outcomes.
4. e. Greater opportunities for social equity and connection.
5. Support the introduction of a reduced speedlimit for the City’s central business district (CBD) to improve all road users’ safety and provide a long term platform for the sustainable growth and prosperity of Fremantle as a key activity centre.
6. Progress a formal application to MainRoads WesternAustralia to approve a 30km/h zone in the City’s CBD.

I support that in general because most of the inner city roads are not suited to drive much faster anyway, but there might be issues at Phillimore and Beach streets and Elder Place, where many motorists ignore the 40km/h already.

Roel Loopers

OCEAN RIDE RAISES FUNDS FOR MS

 

More than a hundred cyclists had an early start at 7am this morning at the Fremantle Esplanade for the Multiple Sclerosis WA Ocean Ride.

The fundraiser took the riders along the beaches on a 30km journey to Hillarys.

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE RIDE TO WORK WEDNESDAY

 

 

The Fremantle RIDE and SHINE ride to work day is on from 7-9am this Wednesday October 17 at Pioneer Park opposite the railway station.

Free coffee and breakfast are on offer, and bike safety checks, info stalls, electric bike demos and mini bike tours.

Roel Loopers

GREATER FREMANTLE PARKING PLAN

The City of Fremantle Strategy and Project Committee last night debated the Greater Fremantle Parking Plan 2020.

According to the agenda the plan will provide a city wide car parking plan to enable the City to move past a predict and provide supply approach to parking to an efficiency and management approach.

The plan will focus on enabling the progressive implementation of major new carparks to the periphery of the city core along with providing analysis of current on and off street parking provision and understanding of potential future parking needs within the greater city area.

The Greater Fremantle parking plan is structured using a staged approach, each with individual engagement approaches and individual outputs.

Parking in Fremantle is a constant community issue with the perception that there are not enough parking spaces in Fremantle and that parking is too expensive. Statistics show clearly that this perception is wrong and that especially multi-storey carparks have a lot of vacant spaces on weekdays. There is also first one-hour free parking for all and free parking Freo residents with permits until 11 am and from 3 pm.

In its desperation to revive the retail economy the City of Subiaco has just introduced three-hour free parking in one of its carparks and maybe that is something the City of Fremantle could look at for the Queensgate carpark for the first days of the week to attract more shoppers.

Roel Loopers

 

SAFER FREO BIKE TRAVEL WITH ARMADILLOS

The City of Fremantle, as the first local council in Western Australia, has started to instal Armadillos to make bicycle travel safer in the city. The Armadillos are made out of recycled material and discourage motorists from driving too far too the left and intrude into the bike paths. The devices have a similar impact as those on country roads that warn drivers through noise and movement that they are too close to the edge, or heaven forbid fell asleep.

From my own observations in Freo far too many drivers drive on or over the left white line and would wipe out cyclists if they happen to be on the road, so the Armadillos are a very welcome sign and the name sounds like a yummy drink.

At present only a small section of Parry Road at Fremantle Oval has got the Armadillos, but I believe they have far more impact than just the green painted bicycle lanes, so hopefully we will see many more in Freo soon, and less accidents as a result of them.

Roel Loopers