Plan to make Hindley St into a one-way street to revive party strip
UPDATED: Notorious Adelaide nightspot Hindley St will become a one-way street under Government plans to boost outdoor dining and cut anti-social behaviour. VOTE IN OUR POLL
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NOTORIOUS Adelaide nightspot Hindley St would become a one-way street running east under State Government plans to boost outdoor dining and reduce anti-social behaviour.
In an unprecedented move, Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan has secured Lord Mayor Martin Haese’s backing for the proposal to allow only eastbound traffic between Morphett St and King William St.
The traffic restriction, which would end the time-honoured motorists’ tradition of a westbound cruise on Hindley St, also would enable footpaths to be significantly widened in a bid to significantly increase outdoor dining.
This would be part of a proposed major Hindley St upgrade, also potentially including improved lighting, landscaping and street art, along with making the strip more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly.
It is hoped that the upgrade and a greater number of outdoor dining venues would curb anti-social behaviour, particularly at night.
Early analysis is said to show minimal traffic impacts to the surrounding road network, however, detailed plans, traffic surveys and funding are yet to be commissioned.
Mr Mullighan said the transformation of the nearby Torrens Riverbank and laneways, including the renowned Peel St, had triggered the proposal to improve Hindley St.
“Our city is undergoing a major transformation and more people are spending more time in Adelaide,” said Mr Mullighan, who is also the Urban Development Minister.
“Hindley St has long been a night-time destination and this move could mean improving the overall street to attract more visitors and tourists.
“It should also boost the daytime economy with better streetscapes and outdoor dining areas.”
Mr Mullighan said any changes would require extensive consultation with Hindley St traders and should reflect the interests of businesses, property owners and others with a stake in the area.
Mr Haese said the concept had been generated from an April Hindley St forum of traders and property owners, which had almost unanimously supported exploring the idea of a one-way street.
“Personally, I think it’s got a lot of merit. You ask yourself, logically, what’s next and I call that (upgrading) the spine of the city — it runs from East Tce to West Tce (including Hindley St),” the Lord Mayor said.
Mr Haese said Hindley St’s western end had been enlivened by footpath widening and outdoor dining but he stressed that the one-way proposal had yet to move beyond a concept.
A key issue being investigated was access to the strip’s three hotels — the newly opened Holiday Inn, the Mayfair and Grand Chancellor — along with parking stations and the police station.
Westbound-only traffic was ruled out because Hindley St has become an important feeder for traffic heading into the city from North Adelaide, over the Morphett St bridge.
The western end of Hindley St, between Morphett St and West Tce, would be unaffected by any change.
Adelaide West End Association president Andrew Wallace said Hindley St east was ripe for an upgrade to capitalise on developments including the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, Riverbank precinct and nearby laneways.
“(But) you don’t want to lose the notoriety because that brings quite a bit of charm. You want its grit to remain,” said Mr Wallace, also the University of SA’s interior architecture program director.
One-way streets have been canvassed as an option for Adelaide for years without any proposal being deeply investigated, let alone implemented.
In 2011, the-then Transport Department chief Rod Hook said one-way streets were being considered to clear the city at peak hour.
He suggested Pirie/Waymouth and Flinders/Franklin streets could be coupled and turned into one-way roads.
In 2007, former South Australian director-general of transport and University of SA traffic management expert Derek Scrafton proposed “twinning” streets on King William St’s eastern and western sides — among them Hindley St.
Dr Scrafton said Hindley St’s eastbound traffic could be matched with Waymouth St for westbound traffic.
At the time, he also suggested converting Franklin, Flinders, Carrington and Sturt streets to one-way.
A 1994 proposal to make North Adelaide’s Melbourne St one-way, “twinning” it with Finniss St to the south, failed to gain traction and was quickly scuttled.