“The fact is cyclists are forced on to dangerous Curtin Avenue, or have to cross over and try and work their way through back streets or on Stirling Highway, so there’s no safe way,” Bicycling WA chief executive Jeremy Murray said.

As he spoke to the Western Suburbs Weekly, a truck locked its wheels 10 minutes after cyclists had waited before attempting to ride against traffic because they failed to see the end of the principal shared path (PSP) on Fremantle railway line that ends at Grant Street Station.

Main Roads WA has confirmed detailed design work for the PSP’s extension south to the Cottesloe train station would be completed in June, but a spokeswoman said construction was subject to the Budget and Government decisions on its schedule.

PSP construction to the station would leave a 4km gap at Tydeman Road, North Fremantle, causing cyclists to continue using increasingly congested commuter and truck routes along Curtin Avenue and Port Beach Road.

Before the March state election, Labor said it would allocate an additional $27 million for PSPs over the next four years, increasing PSP funding to $20 million a year by 2019-20.

Mr Murray said a PSP to Midland had been completed by the previous government, but a Cottesloe-North Fremantle link was needed to join Perth’s and Fremantle’s CBDs for commuters, tourism and school children on bicycles.

“While we understand a lot of other projects may be worthy, we’re keen to understand from the Government where are their priorities now,” he said.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said a range of PSPs were being considered ahead of the State Budget, and she would be looking at each project in detail in coming months before an announcement “in due course”.