Making Hindley St a one-way tree-lined boulevard estimated by Adelaide City Council to cost $15.5 million

MAKING Hindley St one-way by widening footpaths to create a tree-lined boulevard would cost $15.5 million, according to an internal Adelaide City Council study.

• Hindley Street night traders want to turn it into a shopping district
• Plan to make Hindley St into a one-way street to revive party strip

MAKING Hindley St one-way by widening footpaths to create a tree-lined boulevard would cost $15.5 million, according to an internal Adelaide City Council study.

The confidential internal proposal, which has been supplied to the Sunday Mail, also outlines two options to upgrade the party strip between Morphett and King William streets while retaining two-way traffic, varying in cost from $13.5 million to $17.5 million.

All three options involve splitting costs between the City Council and State Government.

Aiming to reinvigorate “Hindley St as a day and night location”, the City Council’s draft prospectus focuses on improvements to attract more businesses, visitors and tourists to boost the “day and night-time economy”.

The Sunday Mail last week revealed a push to make Hindley St one-way had been revived in the wake of serious injuries to a pedestrian that weekend.

Lord Mayor Martin Haese is now poised for talks, about Hindley St’s future and revitalising the CBD, with Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government Minister Stephan Knoll.

Hindley Street from the corner of Peel Street looking west as it currently appears.

Discussion about plans for Adelaide’s future, including transport, education and the economy, will be showcased in a Future Adelaide series unveiled in tomorrow’s Advertiser.

The one-way street option canvassed in the City Council report involves changing traffic to eastbound only, widening both footpaths from 4m to 9m in most locations with granite pavers and adding 100 new in-ground and planter box trees.

The two-way options both involve widening the footpaths to 7m, although the cheaper option has fewer trees and less granite.

Mr Haese said improving business activity in Hindley St was one of the key aims of an eventual upgrade.

“Ultimately, you can line your streets with gold but if people are irresponsible with their behaviour, it’s not necessarily going to have a material impact,” he said.

Mr Haese said the time was ripe for a breakthrough on Hindley St, particularly given recent upgrades to Rundle Mall and Rundle St.

A concept image for a new look Hindley Street.

“People have been talking about this for decades. This is why they love this story,” he said.

Mr Knoll said: “It’s my understanding that this was just a thought bubble by the Labor administration and no work had been undertaken by the previous government to progress this idea.

“However, I look forward to sitting down with the Lord Mayor to discuss the Adelaide City Council’s proposal and, more broadly, about ways in which we can revitalise the CBD and improve traffic congestion.”

Opposition Transport and Infrastructure spokesman Tom Koutsantonis said the previous Labor government had partnered successfully with the City Council to upgrade laneways from the Adelaide Railway Station to the Central Market.

“It makes complete sense for a (Hindley St) upgrade and I think the State Government absolutely should look at partnering with the council,” he said.