A lower speed limit is coming to the Bardon Roundabout, with the limit set to fall from 60km/h to 50km/h between Gerler Street and Birdwood Terrace from mid-September 2026.
The Transport and Main Roads Department (TMR) has announced the permanent change along a section of the Western Arterial Road around the roundabout. The change will cover the section between Gerler Street and south of Birdwood Terrace.
The decision has been welcomed by Maiwar MP Michael Berkman, who described it as a “HUGE win” in his campaign to make the Bardon Roundabout more people-friendly. Mr Berkman said he had been calling for a lower speed limit and safety improvements at the roundabout since 2018.
A long-running push for safer access
The Bardon Roundabout sits near Rainworth State School, a childcare centre, small businesses, Bowman Park and Bardon markets. According to Mr Berkman’s campaign, locals have raised concerns for years about safety for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists in the area. Earlier improvements identified by the campaign included visibility improvements and new pedestrian refuges.
A community survey conducted by Mr Berkman’s office between September 2022 and April 2023 also examined safety around the roundabout. The survey report published by Mr Berkman’s campaign found that 66.7 per cent of respondents supported reducing the speed limit to either 40km/h or 50km/h on MetRoad 5. About 21 per cent did not support a reduction, while the remainder were unsure.
The survey also asked about pedestrian safety infrastructure, with the campaign reporting strong support for measures including wider footpaths and safer pedestrian crossings.
The findings formed part of Mr Berkman’s advocacy for changes around the roundabout and along MetRoad 5. Now, the 50km/h reduction is due to take effect.
TMR’s notification states that the speed-limit change follows a Speed Limit Review and that the change is intended to improve safety. The works will involve replacing speed-limit signs and installing advance warning and variable message signs to alert motorists to the change. Temporary traffic changes may be required while the work is carried out.
For the campaign, however, the new speed limit is one part of a broader push for pedestrian safety improvements.
Mr Berkman has said he would like to see wider footpaths and more raised pedestrian crossings, commonly known as “wombat crossings”. His campaign has also proposed safer crossings at several entrances to the roundabout.
Those measures have not been announced as part of the September speed-limit works, but remain among the improvements sought by the campaign.
Read: Local Mum Calls For Improvements on Boundary Road in Bardon
For locals who have raised concerns about safety around the Bardon Roundabout, the speed-limit change will be a noticeable one. After years of advocacy for a lower speed limit and other safety improvements, the change is now due to take effect.
Published 4-September-2026
