Some of Perth’s main one way streets will revert to two way traffic under City of Perth plans to improve vehicle movement and create an improved pedestrian environment.
Council has approved a five year staging plan to implement the changes. This follows on from the successful changeover last year to two way traffic in William Street.
City of Perth Lord Mayor, Lisa Scaffidi, said the aim was to simplify a sometimes confusing one way street pattern and to reduce the amount of traffic that used city streets solely for ‘through’ journeys between other suburbs.
“Reorientation and redesign of some streets will reduce traffic speeds and make the CBD more pedestrian friendly,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Changes in the city, such as the opening of two new train stations, have also meant increased pedestrian traffic in some parts of the CBD.
“We want the city to be a place that people can get to easily and to move around in, which is in line with Council’s Strategic Plan.”
The Lord Mayor said that the concept of one way streets is now outdated urban design thinking.
She said the disadvantages of one way streets include:
- attracting through traffic that has no business in the city
- higher traffic speeds
- public transport complications, with
buses arriving in and leaving from the
city at different locations - increased journey distances as drivers
negotiate a one way network - confusion for city visitors unfamiliar
with the one way system.
Lord Mayor Scaffidi said Council will consult with business, property owners, neighbouring councils and government agencies, such as Main Roads and the Public Transport Authority, before any changes are made.
For further information contact Russell Kingdom, Council’s Manager Urban Development, on (08) 9461 3161.
