Businesses win first battle in car park spaces war in CBD

Adelaide City Councillors have won a battle to delay administration plans for a dedicated bikeway from east to west through the CBD.

City businesses have won a delay in the construction of an east/west bikeway through the CBD with Adelaide City Council administration told to consult further.

By a vote of six to five, council last night accepted a motion by Deputy Lord Mayor Mary Couros that ratepayers should be better informed of the planned route: along Franklin Street into Flinders Street, then Gawler Place and on to Wakefield Street.

Councillor Alexander Hyde objected to the three weeks notice councillors had been given to consult on this route with ratepayers.

“This plan has not had time to filter through the community,’’ he said.

Councillors were asked to settle on a final design for the $5.8m bicycle route between East and West terraces, which has proven controversial because many businesses have rejected the loss of their street-front car parks.

Councillor Alexander established through questioning that there could be an additional 106 car parks lost, over and above the 170 already acknowledged, which has caused strong protests from the business lobby.

Also through a motion on notice, opponent of Cr Couros’ motion Cr Anne Moran proposed a separated bikeway along Halifax and Sturt Streets, which would eliminate the planned dog-leg.

Cr Moran said the route would ensure a wide bikeway with links to the Victoria Park bikeway in the east and West Terrace bikeway in the west.

She said the route was also the preferred option before lobbying began to retain as many city car parks as possible.

Proposed route for the East-West Bikeway through the Adelaide CBD which saves carparking space but is unpopular with cyclists because of a dog-leg in heavy traffic. Picture: Adelaide City Council

The bikeway is a major work because cyclists would be separated by barriers from traffic.

The current preferred option is a dog-leg design – unpopular with cyclists because of right-hand turns in traffic – which follows Franklin Street into Flinders Street, then turns into Gawler Place and on to Wakefield Street.

Staff have ruled out three other routes because of pressure from businesses; to connect West Tce with South Tce by putting bike lanes and cyclist crossings on Grote Street to Wakefield Street, Franklin Street to Flinders Street or Waymouth Street to Pirie Street.

Bikeway advocate Cr Robert Simms said the five year delay since the project was first muted could jeopardise State Government funding.

He urged councillors to attempt the dog-leg as a way forward.

“I don’t think we need more analysis paralysis,’’ Cr Simms said.

“I am not a fan of the dog-leg but I am willing to live with that because it is potentially a compromise.”

The meeting was told the Transport Department had approved an extension to the joint funding agreement for the project, providing the route was settled by 31 march.

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