In WA we do not have cycle paths, but a network of “Principal Shared Paths”. These are shared, often uneasily, between children, dogs, mothers pushing prams, pedestrians, joggers, gopher carts and cyclists.

Conflict is pre-progammed.

According to a letter received from  MainRoadsWA in March 2010, they spent about $800 million on road infrastructure in WA.  The spending on cycling infrastructure was as follows:

32 km of shared paths along the 72km length of the new Perth Bunbury Highway at a cost of $15 million

7.5 km of shared paths as part of the extension of the Mitchell Freeway to Burns Beach Road at a cost of $6.9 million

1 km of shared path as part of the extension from Reid Highway from West Swan Road to Great Northern Highway at a cost of $2.7 million.

In addition about $0.5 million has been spent on minor improvements and lighting on the existing network.

Design has been completed and funding allocated by Dept of Transport for 1.8 km of shared path along the rail line from Tonkin Highway to Bassendean Station. Funding allocated was $1.2mio in 2009. Based on private conversations with government departments, the cost for this path has now blown out to $3.6mio, and because of the high cost it is not clear if and when it will be built. This translates to about $2000 per meter of path. In the meantime, the City of Canning have built 4km of Principal Shared Path fully lit for $690 per meter of path.

0.5 km of shared path from Claremont train station to Shenton road underpass

Cost per meter of Shared Path in West Australia