[2] The road is predominantly single-lane dual carriageway with a combination of painted and paved medians, with additional lanes near major intersections.

[3]: 3  The busiest section is near the centre between Grantham Street and Empire Avenue, which averaged over 18,000 vehicles per weekday in 2003/04, 20,000 in 2005/06, and 18,000 in 2007/08.

The volume generally declines on either side of the road, with the fewest vehicles recorded near the western end.

[3]: 72 The Boulevard begins at an uncontrolled Y junction, branching from Cambridge Street and proceeding northwest for 850 metres (2,790 ft).

[1] Many minor unsignalised intersections and T-junctions occur with residential streets as The Boulevard continues northwest and then proceeds west for 500 metres (1,600 ft).

West of one such T-junction with Floreat Avenue, The Boulevard becomes a two-lane dual carriageway with a paved median, with additional right-turn pockets at various locations.

Unsignalised minor T-junctions with residential roads continue, as well as roundabouts at Bold Park Drive and Durston Road/Majalin Avenue.

After the T-junction with Templetonia Crescent, which contains a right-turn pocket for eastbound traffic, The Boulevard median becomes exclusively paved.

[1] The original designs for Floreat and City Beach, adopted in 1925, included The Boulevard as an access road connecting the two proposed suburbs and the coast.

[8] The plans also intended for a tram line to eventually run down the centre of the road to the coast.

[4][10][11][12] The portion of the road opened along the seafront, though a continuation of the rest of The Boulevard,[6] was instead named Ocean Drive.

[20][21][17] Traffic lights were installed at the intersection of The Boulevard and West Coast Highway as part of the 2003-04 Black Spot Program.

[4][27] Pine trees were removed from The Boulevard during the late 1970s due to ongoing problems with the reduced water table and poor rains.