Macrae Rd and bike safety

Leon Ebbelaar
City of Melville
38

Macrae Rd, running parallel to Canning Hwy in Applecross has long been a Perth Bike Network route providing bike riders with a direct route through local streets while avoiding dangerous traffic on Canning Hwy.

As journey times on Canning Hwy increased drivers started to rat-run along Macrae Rd making Macrae rd at Ardross St the second most dangerous place to ride a bike in Perth. Crashes between bike riders and drivers were also very high along the length of Macrae Rd. (See photos below).

A pre-deflection was installed at Perth’s second most dangerous intersection (Ardross St at Macrae Rd) and this intersection has not seen a single bike rider crash in the 4 years since it was constructed.

A cul-de-sac of Macrae at Gairloch has further reduced crashes along Macrae from 9 crashes in the three years before the closure to 4 crashes in the three years since the closure.

The proposed cul de sac treatment divided public opinion however after a one year trial using rubber kerbing and extensive before and after traffic surveys the works were made permanent.

Evaluations continue to ensure safety remains a priority and interestingly some residents who opposed the works are now supportive because the quieter streets are much more family-friendly.

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Kylie (Your Move)

Hi Leon, did you monitor the number of people riding on Macrae Road? To see if the safety improvements increased numbers? Love the pictures of the happy riders.

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