Bold plan to fix city’s pedestrian choke points
Melbourne pedestrians are spilling out onto the road, as thousands walk city’s footpaths every day causing major congestion. Now big changes are coming to problem areas to help ease the squeeze.
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Footpaths will be widened and cleared of clutter as new figures show booming numbers of pedestrians are choking key city streets.
Telephone boxes, bike hoops, billboards and motorbikes which impede pedestrians are in the gun.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp, who is embarking on a mission to make it easier for people to walk around the city, declared better pedestrian access vital for Melbourne’s prosperity.
New analysis, based on data from 58 footpath sensors across the CBD, shows the intersection of Flinders and Elizabeth streets is the city’s worst pedestrian choke point.
An average 43,000 people pass through the area each day.
The area outside Town Hall, the Flinders St underpass, intersection of Spencer and Collins streets and Bourke St Mall were also bottlenecks.
An average 33,000 people walked along Southbank Promenade each day while the Bourke St Bridge and Southern Cross Station were the worst congestion hot spots in Docklands.
They respectively attracted 21,000 and 19,000 daily pedestrians.
Ms Capp told the Sunday Herald Sun: “The evidence shows us there are choke points on our pavements and footpaths and that’s why we’re delivering on our transport strategy to make more room for pedestrians.”
“We want to make it easier for people to walk around our city to do business, shop and enjoy everything Melbourne has to offer,’’ she said.
“A 10 per cent increase in the connectivity of the pedestrian network in the city is estimated to add $2.1 billion to the City of Melbourne’s economy.”
Figures show almost a fifth of footpaths in the city centre are so crowded in the morning and lunchtime peaks people have to walk on the kerb or road.
A more than 40 per cent rise in the city’s daily population forecast between now and 2035 is adding to the problem.
Melbourne City Council plans to turn road and parking spaces spanning the size of six MCGs into areas for pedestrians, cyclists and trading over the next decade.
Footpaths will be widened and clutter removed with Bourke, Spencer and Elizabeth streets a priority.
The Elizabeth St footpath near Melbourne Central is just 6 metres wide compared with 14m on Swanston St.
Tram stops and rail interchanges will also be targeted.
Deputy Lord Mayor Arron Wood said the growing number of people living the city, especially students in the north, was fuelling pedestrian numbers.
The intersection of Faraday and Lygon streets attracted an average 6000 people a day on foot with streets adjoining Grattan St reaching the same figure.
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“There are now almost 60,000 international students who have elected to study in Melbourne — and almost 30,000 who also live in the city,’’ Mr Wood said.
Works to improve Elizabeth St and Southbank will begin next year.