Last Updated: 25 September 2026
Project Background
The Ruislip Safe Active Street Project was delivered as part of the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure's (formerly the Department of Transport) Safe Active Streets Pilot Program and was 100% funded by the Department through the program. It involved the design and construction of 3.8 km corridor forming part of the City Beach–West Leederville cycle route. The program aims to create low-traffic, 30 km/h local streets that are safe, comfortable, and attractive for people of all ages to walk, ride, and travel locally.
Key elements included shared spaces, parking bays, intersection priority changes, raised plateaus, kerbing and drainage upgrades, tree planting, line marking, and signage. The corridor features both red and black asphalt surfaces.
Construction was completed in June 2023, followed by a pre-opening Road Safety Audit (RSA), review of associated corrective actions, and an activation event to promote community awareness.
A Safe Active Street (SAS) is not expected to function optimally immediately after implementation. These schemes often require time for driver behaviour to adjust and for the community to become familiar with the changes. This transition can take several years, as gradual shifts in travel patterns and habits support the SAS in achieving its goals of enhanced safety and accessibility for all users. Patience and ongoing evaluation are essential to ensuring the long-term success of the project. In November 2023, a report (CR12.4.2 – Ruislip Safe Active Street – Post Construction Road Safety Audit Corrective Actions) was presented to Council, detailing the audit findings and recommended corrective actions along the Ruislip Safe Active Street route.
One of the RSA recommendations is to convert the Ruislip Street / Harborne Street intersection to a left-in/left-out configuration for vehicles, incorporating bicycle cut-throughs to maintain connectivity along Ruislip Street. This recommendation was first made during the design-stage RSA due to identified safety concerns and was reaffirmed during the post-construction inspection. Additional information about the Ruislip Street / Harborne Street intersection is available in the ‘Project Updates’ section below.
Project Updates
The Town will undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of the Ruislip Safe Active Street between 2024 and 2026. This evaluation will include the collection of traffic volume and speed data, which will be compared with preconstruction assumptions and historical datasets to assess the scheme’s overall performance. Community engagement will form a key part of the review, including a perception survey targeting local residents and the cycling community. The Community Perception Survey was conducted from 16 June to 13 July 2025.
The Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure has released its Final Evaluation Report for the Safe Active Streets Pilot Program, together with individual Route Reports for each pilot project, including the Town of Cambridge’s Ruislip Safe Active Street (SAS). The reports are now publicly available on the Transport WA website (see the ‘related information’ section for the link).
The Town's evaluation is separate from the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure's Safe Active Streets Pilot Program Evaluation, which assessed nine other projects across multiple local governments.
The Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure Final Evaluation Report notes that community sentiment survey data for the Cambridge route was not collected as part of the pilot evaluation due to construction timing and survey sampling constraints. The completion of the Ruislip Safe Active Street occurred outside the Department's evaluation period, preventing the inclusion of a community perception survey for the route. To address this gap, the Town conducted its own community perception survey in June 2025.
Overall, the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure evaluation found that the Ruislip Safe Active Street project contributed to reductions in both vehicle volumes and 85th percentile vehicle speeds along the route. The report also identified increased pedestrian activity, indicating improved walkability and community use of the street.
The evaluation identified a 5 per cent decrease in cycling activity on the Ruislip route. However, cycling on nearby control streets decreased by 23 per cent over the same period. The evaluation concluded that the reduction was more likely associated with broader changes in cycling activity across the Perth network than with the Safe Active Street itself.
The findings from the Department’s SAS reports will assist the Town in undertaking its own evaluation of the Ruislip Safe Active Street project, which will include engagement with the bike riding community and further assessment of potential recommended actions.
The Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure documents can be found on the Safe Active Streets Pilot Program | Transport WA webpage.
Current Status
The Town has engaged a Traffic and Transport Engineering consultant to undertake an independent technical evaluation. Traffic modelling is currently underway, along with a review of parking restrictions and an investigation into potential enhancements to the route.
While the Traffic and Transport Engineering consultant has been engaged to undertake an independent technical review of the route, this work forms part of the evaluation process and does not predetermine any future changes. No substantive enhancement works arising from the evaluation process will be recommended for implementation until Council has considered the complete evaluation, including community feedback
The Town currently intends to present the evaluation findings to Council in late 2026, noting that the timing remains indicative and may be revised as the evaluation progresses
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