Main Roads lowers Chapman Road along Beresford foreshore speed limit to 50km/h after audit

The speed limit on a popular and at times congested stretch of Chapman Road along Beresford foreshore has been lowered after Main Roads conducted a Road Safety Audit and found a 10km/h reduction was appropriate. From Monday, the posted speed limit on Chapman Road, from Phelps Street to Mabel Street, was adjusted from 60km/h to 50km/h after Main Roads assessed the road and traffic environment. The audit took into account crash history, pedestrian and cyclist activity, the number of private and commercial property accesses, roadside development and beachside access points, lack of channelisation at intersections and activity or facilities on the coast contributing to driver distraction. Chapman Road is one of two main roads connecting the City of Greater Geraldton’s northern suburbs to the CBD. On Facebook, Mayor Shane Van Styn said the assessment was “subject to parliamentary petition” and there was “a major community driven push” for the change. Resident Brian Ingham said Main Roads should be doing more to facilitate the movement of traffic and slowing traffic was a “cop out”. Local Stephanie Lippiatt said she’d personally witnessed three accidents along Chapman Road in the past year and didn’t frequent the route.