Melbourne Council to trial 20km/h speed limit for CBD’s ‘little streets’

To stop through traffic on the Melbourne City’s “little streets”, the council is looking at dialling back speed limits to 20km/h for zones shared by pedestrians. But some businesses aren’t happy.

City of Melbourne is planning to make driving down the CBD’s “little streets” difficult and slow, but businesses are hitting back at “green lobby” policies.

Council will consider measures such as turn bans, new median strips and excluding cars from parts of roads including Flinders Lane, Lt Collins St and Lt Bourke St.

The recommendations come from a recent report done for the city by infrastructure design consultancy Stantec.

It looked at the impact of a 20km/h speed limit trial for zones shared by pedestrians, and other traffic calming treatments done on four little streets during the pandemic.

“Motor vehicles are the biggest impediment to the little streets operating as shared zones,” the report said.

Stantec’s report looked at the impact of a 20km/h speed limit trial for zones shared by oedestrians in the CBD. Picture: David Crosling

It said that stopping vehicles from accessing certain blocks would dramatically increase walking space and “make for a more attractive and inviting environment”.

“Pedestrianising at least one segment of each little street would also prevent the street from being used for through-traffic, reducing traffic volumes on other segments”.

The report said that through traffic could also be reduced by banning right hand turns at the end of little street blocks, and alternating one-way directions for sequential blocks so drivers can only travel for one section before having to turn onto a main street.

Lt Collins St jeweller David Benjamin said the changes would anger traders because little streets were designed for through traffic.

“This is the green lobby pushing very hard and not wanting to give anything to businesses that created the city,” he said.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said the needs of all road users had to be balanced in a fair and practical manner to keep the city running as efficiently and safely as possible.

“Little streets might well be an option for pedestrians and cyclists, but this needs to be balanced with priority locations for other modes of transport such as cars, trucks, buses and trams,” he said.

Paul Guerra said the council could not just block more CBD streets from vehicle access without opening other routes. Picture: David Geraghty

“We cannot just block more CBD streets from vehicle access without opening other routes, for example, Exhibition St should give priority to motor vehicles, with two lanes of traffic reinstated on that road.”

Small Business Australia executive director Bill Lang questioned the impact of any changes on deliveries and number of street parking spaces.

“Will the impacted landlords and operating businesses be provided with compensation?” he said.

The Stantec report called for trial road closures in the short term, such as Friday and Saturday evenings on Lt Bourke St.

It said that the impact of overall changes to the Hoddle Grid network would need to be determined.

The council wants state government approval to make the 20km/h limit in little streets permanent, and will use the report’s recommendations to plan permanent design changes.