After lengthy discussions with the City of Gosnells, Main Roads WA (MRWA) has rejected a proposal for traffic signals at the intersection of Burslem Drive and Attfield Street in Maddington, which was initially requested through a petition.
A petition gathering over 414 signatures was presented to the City of Gosnells council in September 2023, calling for the installation of traffic lights at the Maddington intersection, which is currently a roundabout, citing concerns over “several serious accidents.”
After receiving the request, the council began consultation with MRWA, as they are responsible for approving traffic changes on public roads, including installing or removing traffic signals.
Additionally, the City of Gosnells collected traffic data in December 2023.
Despite the community safety concerns, MRWA determined that new traffic signals at the intersection would be too close to the signalised intersection at Albany Highway and Burslem Drive, and would potentially impact traffic flow and safety.
The city then explored various options to enhance pedestrian safety by implementing a crossing near the intersection, including Wombat, Zebra, or Pelican crossings.
However, MRWA determined that implementing any of these options would negatively impact the road environment and potentially create more issues than it would resolve, again raising concerns about overall safety and traffic flow.
“Based on the findings of a traffic survey and in-depth analysis conducted by the City of Gosnells, the data currently does not support the need for a signalised pedestrian crossing facility,” a Main Roads WA Spokesperson said.
“The safety of motorists and pedestrians is Main Roads’ number one priority, and decisions regarding upgrades and new safety treatments are always based on detailed investigations and analysis of traffic data and movements.”
According to data collected by the City of Gosnells, an average of 4,922 vehicles per day use the intersection.
From 2018 to 2023, nine crashes were recorded at the Burslem Drive/Attfield Street intersection, according to MRWA.
Gosnells Mayor Terresa Lynes is disappointed the petition’s requests could not be met but recognises the concerns raised by MRWA.
“I understand that Main Roads WA considered all available data, such as crash statistics, traffic volumes and speed when investigating possible crossing types and locations,” Mayor Lynes said.
“The City will continue to work with Main Roads WA on road improvements in the area to ensure safety is prioritised.”
MRWA said they are still open to pedestrian safety improvements at the intersection if the city proceeds with planned road duplication work.
“The City has plans to upgrade the remaining section of Burslem Drive to incorporate two lanes of travel (duplicate) in both directions around Attfield Street, which would make pedestrian crossing more difficult,” a spokesperson for Main Roads said.
“Main Roads supports the provision of improved pedestrian crossing facilities as part of the upgrades and will be discussing the suitable options on Burslem Drive between Attfield Street and Heron Place at our next meeting with the City of Gosnells in late 2024.”
In a separate project, MRWA plans to convert the existing give-way left-turn from Burslem Drive onto Albany Highway into a double signalised left-turn, which means Burslem Drive southbound at the exit from the traffic signals will also be duplicated.
These modifications are expected to be tendered and delivered in the 2025/26 financial year.
