The Town of East Fremantle has slammed the brakes on a community-driven proposal to install dedicated 'cyclist boxes' at several busy intersections, citing prohibitive costs and questionable safety gains.
High Price Tag Derails Community Initiative
Residents had successfully voted for the initiative at the town's annual meeting of electors in January 2025. The motion called for the council to investigate installing the green-painted, bike-symbol marked boxes at four key intersections: Preston Point Road with Canning Highway, Petra Street with Canning Highway, East Street with Canning Highway, and Marmion Street with Stirling Highway.
These boxes are designed to allow cyclists to stop ahead of motor vehicles at traffic signals, increasing their visibility and potentially reducing accidents. However, the project hit a major roadblock following a detailed staff report presented to councillors.
Report Reveals Staggering Costs and Limited Benefits
The council's report delivered a sobering financial assessment, estimating the cost for the boxes would range from $200,000 to over $480,000. The high expense was attributed to the need for extensive upgrades, including new signal poles and lanterns, traffic loop relocation, controller updates, and road resurfacing with the distinctive green coating.
More critically, the report argued the expenditure was not justified. It pointed to no recorded bicycle accidents at the proposed intersections over the past five years and suggested the boxes might encourage cyclists to mix with traffic in an environment deemed unsuitable. The East Street and Canning Highway intersection was also ruled out as it lacks traffic signals.
Councillors Express Reluctant Agreement
Faced with this analysis, town councillors voted unanimously against proceeding at their meeting on November 18, 2025. Councillor Cliff Collinson said he agreed "very reluctantly," admitting he initially thought it was just a matter of "slapping a bit of paint on the road." He concluded the implementation fell into the "too hard basket."
Councillor Rebecca Cutter was quick to clarify that the decision was not a rejection of cycling infrastructure overall. "This isn't about saying no to cycling infrastructure, just to this specific recommendation," she stated.
The council has already allocated funds for other cycling projects, including the development of a cycle lane link from Preston Point Road to Riverside Road in the 2025-26 financial year.
