❓ The Minister for Transport outlines several initiatives aimed at reducing traffic congestion in the Perth metropolitan area, including infrastructure upgrades, public transport improvements, and smarter use of existing infrastructure.
AnsweredQoN 996Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TRAFFIC
CONGESTION REDUCTION MEASURES
996. Ms E. EVANGEL to the
Minister for Transport:
The government has carried out a number of
congestion-reducing measures around the metropolitan area over the past year.
Can the minister please outline some of these important initiatives?
CONGESTION REDUCTION MEASURES
996. Ms E. EVANGEL to the
Minister for Transport:
The government has carried out a number of
congestion-reducing measures around the metropolitan area over the past year.
Can the minister please outline some of these important initiatives?
AnswerView source ↗
I have talked quite a bit in this house about the government's
approach to congestion and the transformation of Perth. A number of initiatives
have been undertaken, but I will talk broadly about three of them. The first is
the level of planning that is being undertaken beyond the ''Directions
2031: Draft Spatial Framework for Perth and Peel'' to look at a city
with a population of 3.5 million and a city with a population of five million.
The second thing is about better roads and better public transport. A number of
initiatives are underway. We have seen expansions and widening along Kwinana
and Mitchell Freeways. Work has been undertaken on Great Eastern Highway, and
we are watching and observing the billion-dollar Gateway WA project that is
occurring. At the end of this year, we will tender for grade separation further
north along Tonkin Highway, and we are not far from going out for expressions
of interest on the Forrestfield–Airport Link, which will be a transformational
public transport project that this state will undertake. The initiatives go
even wider to cover Great Northern Highway south, Goldfields Highway, and
further out towards Coolgardie on Great Eastern Highway. The list goes on for
better roads and better public transport. A huge investment has been made into
the bus network. Since this government came to power in 2008, the increase has
been over 20 per cent. This is not about just better roads and better public
transport; it is about utilising our existing infrastructure in a smarter way.
Across that we are undertaking and rolling out a number of initiatives. The
most recent one, which I announced today, is that we are allowing motorcycles
and increasing taxi access to bus lanes. Next year, a 12-month trial will start
that allows motorcycles to access bus lanes. One of the reasons for having this
trial is to ensure that public transport continues to move. The Speaker may
have heard me talk about this before, but we are in the process of adding GPS
trackers to every bus so that every member of the community will know exactly
where the next bus is. This will allow us to undertake a trial to make sure
that buses are not being held up so that Perth traffic can move in a freer way
by allowing other vehicles such as motorcycles to access bus lanes without
impeding public transport. In addition, we have clearway towing out of the city
area, which allows people, particularly in peak periods, to continue moving.
Countdown timers, as we have talked about, provide easier access in the CBD. We
are now rolling out improved traffic light signal optimisation in 90 traffic
lights across the metropolitan area, and we also have the merger trial
occurring on Kwinana Freeway. All these initiatives are about using our existing
infrastructure in a smarter way. Each one in isolation will not necessarily
deliver, but together they play a part in the bigger picture of keeping Perth
moving.
approach to congestion and the transformation of Perth. A number of initiatives
have been undertaken, but I will talk broadly about three of them. The first is
the level of planning that is being undertaken beyond the ''Directions
2031: Draft Spatial Framework for Perth and Peel'' to look at a city
with a population of 3.5 million and a city with a population of five million.
The second thing is about better roads and better public transport. A number of
initiatives are underway. We have seen expansions and widening along Kwinana
and Mitchell Freeways. Work has been undertaken on Great Eastern Highway, and
we are watching and observing the billion-dollar Gateway WA project that is
occurring. At the end of this year, we will tender for grade separation further
north along Tonkin Highway, and we are not far from going out for expressions
of interest on the Forrestfield–Airport Link, which will be a transformational
public transport project that this state will undertake. The initiatives go
even wider to cover Great Northern Highway south, Goldfields Highway, and
further out towards Coolgardie on Great Eastern Highway. The list goes on for
better roads and better public transport. A huge investment has been made into
the bus network. Since this government came to power in 2008, the increase has
been over 20 per cent. This is not about just better roads and better public
transport; it is about utilising our existing infrastructure in a smarter way.
Across that we are undertaking and rolling out a number of initiatives. The
most recent one, which I announced today, is that we are allowing motorcycles
and increasing taxi access to bus lanes. Next year, a 12-month trial will start
that allows motorcycles to access bus lanes. One of the reasons for having this
trial is to ensure that public transport continues to move. The Speaker may
have heard me talk about this before, but we are in the process of adding GPS
trackers to every bus so that every member of the community will know exactly
where the next bus is. This will allow us to undertake a trial to make sure
that buses are not being held up so that Perth traffic can move in a freer way
by allowing other vehicles such as motorcycles to access bus lanes without
impeding public transport. In addition, we have clearway towing out of the city
area, which allows people, particularly in peak periods, to continue moving.
Countdown timers, as we have talked about, provide easier access in the CBD. We
are now rolling out improved traffic light signal optimisation in 90 traffic
lights across the metropolitan area, and we also have the merger trial
occurring on Kwinana Freeway. All these initiatives are about using our existing
infrastructure in a smarter way. Each one in isolation will not necessarily
deliver, but together they play a part in the bigger picture of keeping Perth
moving.
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