Traffic congestion in the Perth central business district will be addressed through a state government plan to implement sustainable solutions and infrastructure.
A total of $105 million will be granted from the Western Australian Government, including $47.6 million in the 2012-13 budget package.
The budget package is to ensure the CBD has a sustainable transport network to accommodate major city projects and a growing population.
An additional $57 million will go towards a third lane in the Graham Farmer Freeway tunnel and increased lane capacity on the Mitchell Freeway.
The Department of Transport partnered with the City of Perth, Main Roads WA and Public Transport Authority, with consultation with the Department of Planning to work on the Perth CBD Transport Plan.
Minister for Transport, Troy Buswell said the Perth Waterfront Development, Perth City Link and Riverside projects are under way or are about to start.
“These projects will clearly impact on the flow of traffic in and around the city, and the CBD Transport Plan outlines how this impact will be managed and how we can better meet the needs of drivers, users of public transport, pedestrians and cyclists,” Mr Buswell said.
Mr Buswell said $47.6 million from the Perth Parking Management Account would be used to introduce active traffic management.
According to Mr Buswell, the active traffic management uses CCTV cameras to provide information to road users and to incident response crews which remove broken-down vehicles.
“It will also involve real time management of traffic signals, so where incidents occur or road works are impeding traffic flow, Main Roads will modify traffic signal timings to maximise traffic flow, particularly during peak periods,” he said.
He said active traffic management will increase road safety and traffic capacity by minimising disruption from crashes and breakdowns.
These will be focused on the Graham Farmer Freeway and the inner-city sections of the Mitchell and Kwinana freeways, as well as stopping blockages from illegal clearway parking in the CBD.
“It will also involve real time management of traffic signals, so where incidents occur or roadworks are impeding traffic flow, Main Roads will modify traffic signal timings to maximise traffic flow, particularly during peak periods,” Mr Buswell said.
The plan will introduce more Red CAT buses and a green CAT service.
Mr Buswell said the Red CAT buses will be in operation from July 2012, ahead of the Green CAT service.
According to Mr Buswell, the Green CAT service will relieve pressure on the existing Red CAT service and the Perth Underground Train Station.
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Why is it that every time I see a, “Caution Signals Modified” sign, the lights are actually worse? You are supposed to be improving traffic flow but all you have been doing is making it worse. You recently changed the intersection of Loftus and Scarborough Beach Roads and they are now ridiculous. They worked fine before. You also added red light arrows on Walter Road and Grand Promenade and Coode Street Intersections and they are now also ridiculous. You have red light arrows in places that don’t need them like turning right onto Reid Highway from Wanneroo Road and Mirrabooka Avenues. The list goes on. The traffic build up on Loftus Street in the mornings now is almost 10x more now because of the lights. The peak hour traffic flows from North to South yet this is the direction you have changed the most. Things are getting worse.