Residents, businesses attack cut to parking Mary Bolling Herald Sun July 12, 2008 12:00am
RESIDENTS and businesses have condemned a state government plan to increase clearway times.
VicRoads says the plan, which would see all inner-suburban clearway times extended to 7 1/2 hours a day, could speed up traffic by up to 10km/h on some roads.
But other transport groups believe the extended clearways would lead to clogged roads.
And residents are furious at the prospect of parked cars being forced off arterial roads and into suburban streets.
The plan is part of the Government's Keeping Melbourne Moving scheme for tackling congestion, and VicRoads is consulting stakeholders.
New clearway times within 10km of the city will be 6.30am to 10am and 3pm to 7pm.
Heralding the plan in April, Premier John Brumby said the changes would start on July 1, but community backlash led to a delay for discussion.
This week, VicRoads had received 70 submissions into the consultation process.
Debate has centred on the affect on major arterials in Richmond and South Yarra, but campaigners against the extended hours say thousands more Melburnians don't realise how they'll be affected.
Toorak resident Lynette Stewart said VicRoads had failed to advertised how widespread the changes would be.
"This is a horrendous proposal for Melbourne suburbs -- and everyone in them," Ms Stewart said.
"If cars can't park on the main roads, they'll be parking in suburban streets and completely choking them.
"Then residents will demand permit zones and business traffic will have nowhere to park.
"These changes are all for people living outside the city coming in.
"The Government needs to realise that not everyone works in the CBD, and suburbs need to operate in the middle."
Metropolitan Transport Forum chairwoman and Yarra councillor Jackie Fristacky said the MTF was divided on clearways, but said it was not clear that the changes would improve traffic flow.
"To extend the clearways you allow more vehicles through and you'll be blocking more trams at intersections," Cr Fristacky said.
"You physically can't get more vehicles through intersections without blocking public transport."
And Cr Fristacky said demands for councils to provide off-street parking to replace parking spaces eaten by clearways wasn't always practical.
"Off-street car parks require two or three times more land," she said.
"(It's) not a very effective use of valuable inner-city land."
Several councils have vowed to block clearway extensions, with Stonnington signalling it would take the matter to the Supreme Court.
VicRoads executive director of regional services Ted Vincent insisted more than 500,000 Melburnians stood to benefit from the change.
"It is estimated this part of the plan will benefit more than 300,000 tram and bus passengers in Melbourne every day, along with 250,000 motorists," Mr Vincent said.
He said on key arterials such as Hoddle St, when the clearway time finished at 9.30am, bus travel times jumped from 5.5 minutes to eight minutes.
"The 30-minute extension at that location translates to over eight hours a year for every passenger using that bus daily at that time," Mr Vincent said.
VicRoads intends to roll out morning peak clearways starting with key routes on Nicholson St, Brunswick, High St, Malvern, and Punt Rd and Hoddle St, with the rest finished by the end of the year.
But VicRoads must first complete consultation, with submissions accepted until 5pm on Monday.