HERNE Hill residents are advocating for a shared pathway along Great Northern Highway between Barrett Street and Haddrill Road.
Shared pathways run from the Great Northern Highway intersections with Reid and Roe highways up to Barrett Street, but after Barrett Street there is no pedestrian path for about 4km.
Herne Hill resident Jackie Alderton said walking in that area could be dangerous.
“It’s a busy highway that chucks oversized loads of everything that travels down there,” she said.
“There’s no safe place for anyone to walk, and it’s a tourist district.
“There are also schools in the area and if kids are walking to school, how are they doing that safely?”
Ms Alderton said the community had supported her advocacy and saw the pathway as a positive investment.
“Everyone is in favour of it and has commented on the lack of a shared pathway and safe passage from one end of Great Northern Highway to the other, especially because we are in the Swan Valley wine region.”
Ms Alderton and other residents initially contacted City of Swan about this, but were then notified by a council member that the responsibility for Great Northern Highway rests with Main Roads WA.
“The state government said they are improving safety near other schools,” Ms Alderton said.
“They are doing road and pedestrian upgrades, so it would be great if they could extend that to this area.”
“I understand things take time but if they commit to making changes and making it safer, the commitment alone will be a good start.”
As documented in Potential rat-run concerns along GNH (Echo News, February 6, 2025), Main Roads brought the speed limit down from 80km/h to 70km/h in that area.
Ms Alderton recently contacted Swan Hills MLA Michelle Maynard, and hopes to receive a response soon.
“You should be able to walk between the wineries, particularly if you’ve been drinking. They don’t want you driving, do they? You can even be fined for riding a bike while drunk, so why wouldn’t they want you walking?” Ms Alderton said.
Echo News reached out to Main Roads WA for comment.
