Elizabeth St, Melbourne upgrade pedestrian safety plans from 2019 delayed

A call to fix Elizabeth St footpath overcrowding comes as plans to improve the troubled precinct stall with suggestions it might never be completed.

The bottom end of Elizabeth Street has been a magnet for anti-social behaviour. Picture: Alex Coppel

Plans to upgrade the Elizabeth St to “entice more people to the area” have been plagued by delays, and might never be completed.

The City of Melbourne’s Elizabeth St Strategic Opportunities Plan, approved in May 2019, includes plans to widen footpaths along the street, plan more trees and greenery and also considers removing traffic lanes around tram stops near Bourke St and Melbourne Central.

However, only one section of the key city street has been upgraded – at a cost of more than $2 million and delayed by several years – with the southbound traffic lane removed and a larger pedestrian area created between the tram stop and shops.

A City of Melbourne spokeswoman said the project had “greatly boosted safety, accessibility and amenity” and claimed the area “is a more vibrant and welcoming space”.

“We are working with the relevant authorities to identify the best way to deliver the future stages of the project,” she said.

Pop up park in Elizabeth street.

The spokeswoman said some parts of the original plan could not go ahead due to external factors including emergency vehicle access, utility services, cost increases due to Covid, and adjustments requested by Victoria Police.

Town Hall plans to invest $500,000 over this financial year and next on later stages of the Elizabeth St plan but the spokeswoman did not answer questions on when works will start.

Victoria Walks executive officer Ben Rossiter said plans to reduce traffic and prioritise pedestrians along the length of Elizabeth Street should be revisited.

“Footpath overcrowding has been recognised as a problem for many years, we need to make Elizabeth St more of a street for people,” he said.

“The City of Melbourne should be looking at changing Elizabeth Street to make it lower speed for vehicles and make it easier for people to walk across it.”

Plans to upgrade Elizabeth St.

Dr Rossiter said the Elizabeth Street south upgrade was somewhat underwhelming as kerb and gutters were retained, making it feel like an ordinary street.

“We need to do these projects well so the community accepts them and uses them to their full potential,” he said.

A town hall insider said the Elizabeth St project was a “debacle”

“It hasn’t improved the look or feel of Elizabeth Street at all – some would argue it’s made it worse,” the source said.

“No work (on subsequent sections) will happen for another couple of years at least as there is very little appetite to own another stuff up like what happened near Flinders St.”

The bottom end of Elizabeth Street has been a magnet for anti-social behaviour for years, with the City of Melbourne installing a pop-up park in the area in late 2017 to make it more attractive and to give a boost to local businesses.

In 2021, Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the Elizabeth St south project would “entice more people to the area and keep them there for longer, helping to support local businesses and bring the buzz back to Melbourne.”