Canterbury Bankstown moots change to CBD transport for cyclists, buses

Canterbury Bankstown councillors will consider a plan to improve mobility in Bankstown CBD by prioritising pedestrians, cyclists and public transport over commercial and private vehicles.

The Draft Bankstown Complete Streets Transport and Place Plan will be discussed at Tuesday’s council meeting. Picture: Matthew Vasilescu

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Canterbury Bankstown councillors will consider a plan to improve mobility in the Bankstown CBD by prioritising pedestrians, cyclists and public transport over commercial and private vehicles.

The Draft Bankstown Complete Streets Transport and Place Plan will be presented to the council at its Tuesday night meeting with a recommendation to place it on public exhibition for six weeks, starting in May.

The plan, as described in a council report, is a strategic framework and action plan to guide transport and streetscape improvements in the Bankstown CBD over the next 20 years.

Transport movement will change in the CBD if The Draft Bankstown Complete Streets Transport and Place Plan is approved. Picture: Matthew Vasilescu

The report says the number of jobs, students and residents in the Bankstown CBD is expected to double in that period with the city centre currently affected by safety, high car use with 74 per cent of Bankstown residents driving to work, time delays, difficulties accessing parking, inefficient land uses and Bankstown’s poor image.

Recommendations include minimising traffic with an effective ring road, relocating public parking stations to the edge of the CBD along the ring road, using smart technology to manage parking, no net increase in public parking, simplifying bus routes and better integrating station and layover space.

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It also suggests areas for outdoor dining and the night time economy and connecting regional cycle paths through the CBD.

The primary function of each street in the CBD would be designated according to use.

The plan suggests two extra 10km/h shared zones in the CBD to create new destination spaces and discourage through traffic (The Appian Way and Fetherstone St) and in the long term closing two sections of road to cars (Fetherstone St and Olympic Parade).

“High pedestrian activity is limited to the areas immediately outside the train station and the entries to Bankstown Central — this should be extended into other CBD streets to support more businesses,” the report said.