City of Yarra elections – the clearway controversy
I can’t make up my mind about the issue of extending clearways on major roads in the inner city. The aim is to extend clearway hours (by reducing the times when parking is allowed) to enable better traffic flow during peak morning and evening commuting times.
Local businesses located on major roads are concerned that the clearways may make doing business more difficult (for example in terms of receiving deliveries) and that it will reduce customers, who may be unable to park near their premises and thus reduce their patronage.
The Leader reports that:
Apparently VicRoads does not have the authority to remove road signs owned by local governments, even though the state government wants to implement the extended clearway policy.
The councils earn money from parking fees and could lose income if the clearways are extended.The councils also rely heavily on the support of local businesses and one of the roles of councils is to promote and develop local business. Pursuing a policy that aggrieves local businesses is politically risky.
The same Leader article suggests that Melbourne Council is vacillating on its support. It also earns a lot of income from parking fees and it may not be in its commercial interests to significantly reduce car traffic into the CBD.
Proposed improvements:
- Better traffic flow for cars.
- Reduced commuting times.
- Quicker and more prompt public transport services.
Potential problems:
- Improving traffic flow could lead to increased traffic.
- Reduced trade for local businesses.
- Reducing access to local businesses for visitors could reduce trade and alter the nature and diversity of local cultures.
- Increased demand for visitor parking on side streets.
- Visitors parking illegally in resident permit zones.
- Reduced demand for public transport if more people choose to drive.
Suggestions:
- The aim of the clearway extensions should be primarily to reduce delays for public transport (trams and buses) and only secondly to improve car traffic.
- Public transport be increased, improved and rescheduled to sync with the changed traffic conditions in clearways.
- The CBD congestion levy and parking restrictions should be increased to provide further disincentives for people to drive into the city to counter the potential incentive provided by the extended clearways.
- Proposals to limit car ownership by city residents should be further considered.
Observations:
- Inner city residents have to accept that the major roads that run through their suburbs are essential transport routes for residents who live further away from the city.
- Commuters from the outer suburbs need to recognise the impact their transport choices have on inner city areas.
- The No More Clearways blog accuses the Labor state government of abandoning the needs of inner city suburbs like Fitzroy in favour of winning more votes from larger outer suburban suburbs.
- No one wants to undermine the viability of local businesses. As a Fitzroy resident one of the things I value most about my community is having every good or service provider I need available within walking distance.
- The government must start to coordinate different strategies to improve public and private transport. Extra trams and buses should be available to run when the clearways are extended.
- We cannot know the results of proposed policies without trying them. The extended clearways deserve a trial period subject to consideration for local businesses (such as better parking access on side streets for deliveries).
It is evident that a thorough consideration of the issues has not been undertaken. Fitzroy residents want to know how the clearways will affect them. Johnston St is already a traffic hell. More traffic on Brunswick St and Smith St may make them less pleasant to walk along, and the lack of parking may lead to business failures and less services available for local residents. A trial should be done, but the consequences need to be carefully considered.
Opposing the extended clearways is current City of Yarra policy, and it clearly is what local businesses want. The implications for local residents are more complex and have not been adequately examined. This is a major issue in the forthcoming local government elections. Talk to who you propose to vote for about the clearways – what is their policy?
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