Less parking, lower speed limit proposed for Glenelg’s Jetty Rd despite business backlash

A controversial plan has been passed and sealed the future of Adelaide’s most popular beachside shopping district.

The future of Adelaide’s most popular beachside shopping strip has been decided, as a council on Tuesday night passed a motion supporting a controversial plan to cut parking spaces and slash the speed limit.

Under a plan recommended by Holdfast Bay Council staff, 29 parking spaces along Glenelg’s Jetty Rd will be cut, despite a petition signed by 547 people and businesses imploring none are removed.

The motion was passed with only one dissent. Council also moved a motion to seek that the Department of Transport rename one of the road’s tram stops from Moseley Square to Glenelg Beach.

Taplin Real Estate managing director Andrew Taplin, who created the petition, said businesses were outraged by the plan.

An artist's impression of the southern side of Moseley Square looking east. Picture: Supplied

An artist's impression of the Jetty Road intersection looking east from Jetty Road. Picture: Supplied

“(The traders) had made it very clear that they didn’t want to see any car parks removed,” he said.

“There is not enough good, accessible parking at Glenelg now. We don’t need any more parking taken away.

“If people cannot access a park, they will move their shopping habits elsewhere.”

He believed council staff did not give his petition enough weight when making their recommendation on carpark removal.

Mr Taplin also questioned why council had not done an economic study about the removal of parking.

An artist's impression of the upgrades on Jetty Rd in Glenelg.

Under the plan, detailed on a Jetty Rd upgrade web page, the speed limit on Jetty Rd and Colley Terrace will be dropped from 40km/h to 30km/h.

Traffic lights with a pedestrian crossing will be installed at the intersection of Jetty Rd and Mosely St, adding an estimated wait time for traffic of up to 10 minutes during weekend peak times or three minutes at weekday peak times.

“The new traffic lights would give pedestrians clear priority, protected time and guidance to cross this busy corner,” a council web page said.

Durham St will be closed to all vehicles turning right from Jetty Rd on to Durham St except permit holders, bicycles and emergency services vehicles.

Construction work on Jetty Rd. Picture: Dean Martin

In response to public feedback on three options for the Jetty Rd project, the council rejected two more controversial options, which would have removed 42 or 60 parking spaces while closing part of Jetty Rd to traffic.

Speaking to The Advertiser before the council’s Tuesday night decision, Holdfast Bay Mayor Amanda Wilson said more than 2000 people had responded to surveys and emails about the upgrade, and with over 70 per cent supporting the traffic light installation.

That would require removal of 14 parks, she said.

“If this option goes through, we are looking at losing 25 spaces form the entire precinct, which is four less than we engaged with,” she said. “Fourteen are going for the traffic lights, seven for road compliance, four for greening.

“But the precinct has 3000 carparks, and at the Partridge Street carpark – which is free for two hours – the top level is empty almost every day.”

But many said a loss of parking spaces would be damaging to local businesses.

“Our local businesses are already in strife,” said one commenter.

“If there is no parking, Glenelg will become a ghost town … The loss of parking spaces must be minimal.”

When the project was announced last year, its controversial $40m price tag sparked a war of words between the council and local ratepayer groups.

The project has $10m in federal funds, and the council will borrow the rest, whacking ratepayers with a 2.3 per cent levy over three years – on top of the CPI increase.

Construction began in November at the east end of Jetty Rd.

Originally published as Less parking, lower speed limit proposed for Glenelg’s Jetty Rd despite business backlash