A Pedestrian-Friendly CBD May Have to Make Way For More Cars

All those bright-eyed pedestrian-friendly CBD plans we'd been looking forward to could be left out to dry. Reported by the Sydney Morning Herald this morning, the state government has proposed to make driving in the CBD that extra bit easier; getting rid of hundreds of parking spots and loading zones, and even narrowing the footpath in certain areas for reduced pedestrian space. Seriously. Narrowing the footpath.

As passive aggressive and unnecessarily expensive as that sounds, the state government is maintaining the footpath narrowing (along with 17 other CBD projects making up the Sydney City Centre Capacity Improvement Plan) will help future traffic flow through the city — clashing with the pedestrian-focused aims pushed by Lord Mayor Clover Moore and the City of Sydney Council.

The planned footpath narrowing is proposed for Market Street near George Street for one, that's right, near Pitt Street Mall — an area which attracts more than 4000 pedestrians per hour over lunchtime and afternoon peak periods, according to the City of Sydney.

However the government is steadfast on this one, with a Transport for NSW spokeperson saying, "This proposal would remove some of the most heavily used pedestrian space in this busy retail area. The additional lanes will be important for east-west traffic movement when part of George Street is pedestrianised for light rail." Ah, the ol' light rail.

Cyclists, this isn't good news for you either. NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay has said that future cycleways in Sydney's CBD may have to share the road with these loading zones; one example is a part-time, peak-hour-only cycleway down Castlereagh Street. Because there's no way, no way that's going to be unsafe for bike riders needing to merge back into main traffic streams to avoid Mount Franklin deliveries. They'll be fine.

Think parking in the CBD was tough and exxy now? SMH is reporting some 265 parking spots and loading zones will be ditched in afternoon peak times to increase traffic flow (it'll be 132 spots around lunchtime and 192 for morning peak periods).

The state government plans come as a genuine surprise for some Sydneysiders, particularly after NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay announced a pedestrian-friendly move for the CBD in May this year. As of the end of 2014, according to Gay, a significant section of the CBD will receive a decreased speed limit of 40km/h — a 10km/h reduction on the current 50km/h. The limit will apply to the area bordered by Castlereagh, Pitt, Kent and Hay Streets. You can think of it as a major extension of the 40km/h section that already applies in The Rocks.

The main motivation for the legislation was increasing pedestrian deaths. Seven have been killed in the CBD since 2008 — three of those in the past year and six of those in the area outlined here.

The Sydney City Centre Capacity Improvement Plan, developed by Roads and Maritime Services and Transport for NSW, can be seen on display until January 9. Details over here.

Via SMH.

By Shannon Connellan and Jasmine Crittenden.

Images: Market Street, Kerrie - in Sydney - Flickr: [1], Castlereagh Street, Adam.J.W.C..