Melbourne walking plan proposes street closures - ABC Online

Posted May 30, 2014 13:01:20

Melbourne City Council will consider a detailed plan to drastically reduce the number of cars driving through the CBD.

The City of Melbourne's draft walking plan includes investigating the closure of a number of inner city streets.

Councillor Cathy Oke said the council wants to capitalise on the popularity of the existing laneway pedestrian network.

"We want to make all of Melbourne a lot more pedestrian friendly," she told 774 ABC Melbourne's Red Symons.

According to council research, 66 per cent of trips within Melbourne are on foot and increasing congestion is creating delays for pedestrians.

The proposals include closing several inner city laneways popular with pedestrians and the creation of a "linear park" on Dodds St between Grant St and Southbank Boulevard.

Market St, between Collins St and Flinders Lane, is identified as having potential as a "new iconic public space".

• Close Lt Bourke St between Russell and Swanston Sts


• Close Flinders Lane between Swanston and Elizabeth Sts


• Create a "linear park" on Dodds St between Grant St and Southbank Blvd


• Shared zone on Market St between Collins St and Flinders Ln


• Shared zones on Spring St around Parliament Station and Princes Theatre


• Share zones on Queen and Therry Sts near Queen Victoria Market


• Parts of Lt Bourke St, Lt Collins St and Flinders Ln turned into "walking streets"


• Create a piazza around tram terminus at southern end of Elizabeth St

The draft plan also proposes investigating the "pedestrianisation" of several streets near pedestrian hotspots such as Parliament Station and the Queen Victoria Market and the creation of "walking streets".

Vehicles using the shared zones would be speed limited to 10 kph.

The plans suggests that Elizabeth St be closed-off in a similar manner to Swanston St.

Other mall-style areas could be created around Flinders Street Station, Federation Square and along part of Collins St.

Brian Negus from the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) said his organisation would support closing the southern end of Elizabeth St.

"RACV, about four years ago, proposed that Elizabeth St be closed between Bourke St and Flinders St," he told 774 ABC Melbourne's Jon Faine.

Mr Negus said the RACV is keen to look at the plan in detail and will be making a submission to council.

"There's a lot of car parks in the city and people need to get in and out of those car parks," he said.

"It's really a matter of getting the balance right."

Topics: urban-development-and-planning, melbourne-3000