Melbourne closed Swanston St to traffic three years ago: This is what Sydney can learn as it prepares to shut George St

TRAFFIC CHAOS is predicted with Sydney preparing to close one of it’s busiest roads. But maybe Melbourne has the answer.

City cafe owner and Sydney councillor Angela Vithoulkas believes light rail construction will kill many of George Street’s small businesses. Picture: John Appleyard

THE journey to work for hundreds of thousands of commuters in Sydney will never be the same again. Next week, the city centre’s main artery starts to shut down in readiness for the construction of a $2 billion new tram line.

Business owners are jittery, fearful that customers could abandon the CBD, while motorists groups are calling for drastic measures to combat traffic chaos when a quarter of the city centre’s north-south road space is lost.

But a transport expert has told news.com.au that Sydney could learn a thing or two from Melbourne’s when it closed its main thoroughfare of Swanston St three years ago.

On Sunday, October 4, all buses which currently travel along George St — one of Australia’s most congested roads — will either be truncated on the edge of the CBD or diverted along surrounding streets. From October 23, cars will also start to be progressively barred from George St.

TRAFFIC SEWER

Monash University’s Professor Graham Currie is no fan of the current state of George St.

“It’s a canyon, jam packed full of traffic,” said the expert in transport planning. who compared the thoroughfare to the “traffic sewers” of Sydney’s Parramatta Rd and Melbourne’s Punt Rd.

It’s conversion to a light rail route, “will revolutionise George St from being really not a very nice place to being a credit to Australia cities,” he said.

Melbourne’s Swanston St, once one of the city’s busiest routes, was barred to cars in the mid 90s, partially reopened to vehicles in 1999 before finally closing to everything except trams and bikes in 2012.

“Swanston St really has taken off since pedestrianism occurred,” Prof Currie said, “It improved access, tourist and shoppers like the area and you don’t have unsightly traffic blocking the road.”

Prof Currie said alternative routes for motorists now unable to travel through the CBD were key. A decision by Melbourne transport chiefs to leave traffic lights on green for longer on roads bypassing the city were a win for car drivers.

However, he said he was concerned that it would still cost motorists to travel through Sydney’s cross-city tunnel, one of the main routes vehicles to avoid the CBD.

“Ideally, you want to improve the quality of bypasses so it’s not ideal to have a toll road as an alternative route,” he said.

Earlier this month, the NRMA motoring organisation called on the NSW Government to consider allowing free travel on CBD trains to free up what little road space was left.

BUSINESSES COULD GO UNDER

Vivo coffee shop owner Angela Vithoulkas, whose cafe stands at the corner of George and King streets, one of Sydney’s busiest intersections, said hers was just one of 700 businesses that would be adversely affected by construction works.

“I have been consistently concerned about the financial impact of these transport decisions,” she told news.com.au

City cafe owner and Sydney councillor Angela Vithoulkas believes light rail construction will kill many of George Street’s small businesses. Picture: John Appleyard

Businesses along the route of the Gold Coast tram, which opened last year, saw their incomes drop by almost half during construction as punters went elsewhere, said Cr Vithoulkas, who is also a City of Sydney councillor.

“We’re going to face less foot traffic, more noise, more dust and more inconvenience for years and that will mean staff lay-offs and difficulties paying rent.

“I think it’s a real possibility that some businesses could go under.”

Cr Vithoulkas said measures to abate construction noise had been disregarded, not enough was being done to attract people to George St, and advice from the transport department — that companies should consider allowing employees to work from home — was counter-productive.

Transport for NSW’s CBD co-ordinator general Marg Prendergast told news.com.au more than 4000 visits had been made to individual businesses and residents affected by construction work and initiatives such as a nine metre high Christmas tree and pop-up stores were designed to attract shoppers in the festive season.

She confirmed advice had been given to businesses to encourage flexible working, “during intensive periods of construction,” while the government body improved roads, set up a temporary “Olympic-style joint operations centre” and signposted alternative routes to keep traffic moving.

“Transport for NSW is determined to minimise disruption and keep Sydney open for business,” said Ms Prendergast.

“There were lots complaints before Swanston St closed and some grumbles after but when it settled down people didn’t notice any difference and now the city centre is booming” said Prof Currie.

“In five years’ time we’ll look and back and say why we didn’t do it earlier.”

MELBOURNE’S TOP FIVE CBD SHUTDOWN TIPS

1.It’s not all about trams

Sculpture outside the State Library of Victoria, Swanston St, Melbourne. Picture: supplied.

“I’d say it’s about people first and trams second,” Prof Currie said, “How you replan the street is more than just about transport, there’s a big role for good urban design and creating a world standard street for pedestrians.”

2. Keep the traffic lights green for longer

Keep the traffic lights green. Picture: supplied.

On the streets around the CBD that motorists will now be using instead, keep red lights to a minimum.

3. Look at how everyone will use the CBD

Cyclist on Melbourne’s Swanston St. Picture: supplied.

A quiet main strip will lead to more cyclists, Prof Currie said. But in Melbourne there had been some criticism of new Swanston St cycle paths that sliced through tram stops.

4. Ban taxis and tourist buses, but not delivery vehicles

Sergio Rodrigues (left) and Mary-Ann Warries see Sydney from the top of a tourist bus. Photo: supplied.

The more traffic allowed on the new George St, the more clogged it will become. But deliveries for shops and businesses should be allowed at quiet times such as first thing in the morning.

5. Remind Sydneysiders trams can be dangerous

A safety message on the side of a Gold Coast G:link light rail vehicle Picture: Jerad Williams.

“Trams are very quiet and they can pick up speed quickly. When you bring transport and people together you do need to be aware they are large vehicles,” said Prof Currie.