THE Riverlands Montessori School has won a long-running battle with the State Government and the City of Swan to slow traffic around its premises.
Transport Minister Troy Buswell last week agreed to have signs installed to warn motorists of the intersection of Lord Street and Harrow Street in West Swan.
As the main point of entry to the school, there is neither a turning lane nor a sign to alert drivers on either approach to the intersection.
From November 2010, West Swan MLA Rita Saffioti, together with Riverlands principal Ineke Oliver, had campaigned for Lord Street to be upgraded and for attention to be paid to the Harrow Street intersection.
East Metropolitan MLC Donna Faragher picked up the baton earlier this year and recently provided Mr Buswell and the City of Swan with a petition of 80 signatures calling on the city to make access to Riverlands Montessori School safer.
“The minister has agreed that signage can be improved, including the installation of junction signs to alert drivers coming from both directions to the Lord Street-Harrow Street intersection,” Mrs Faragher said.
“The City of Swan has also advised me that planning is under way for the localised widening of the northbound carriageway of Lord Street, which will allow vehicles to overtake cars turning right onto Harrow Street.”
School bursar Catherine Clark said the school was pleased with Mr Buswell’s announcement.
“We hope the signs will slow the traffic down and at least let people know the turn-off to Harrow Street is there,” she said.
“It’s a big step forward but, ultimately, it would be nice to have a right turn lane into Harrow from Lord Street.”
Mrs Faragher said the City was also looking at creating a second point of access to the school to reduce the number of vehicles waiting at the intersection.
“This will be achieved through the opening up of the culs-de-sac on Cranleigh and Arthur streets and the construction of a connecting gravel road,” she said.