Moore said installing light rail on George Street was an example of how the city could become less vehicle-dependent.
“The conga lines of buses on the traffic-clogged, noisy, dirty street have been replaced by a beautiful tree-lined pedestrian boulevard through the heart of our city,” she said.
However, the installation of bike lanes on CBD streets has been controversial, while the reduction of traffic lanes on Oxford Street for a cycleway and wider footpaths has also provoked opposition from some business owners and motorists.
“Drivers in Sydney, particularly the high-testosterone 28-year-old male road kings in Ford Raptors, really need to relax”
Lyndon Gannon, Liberal councillor
Business Sydney executive director Paul Nicolaou welcomed efforts to make the city pedestrian-friendly, but he said the council had limited powers and warned of the economic repercussions of discouraging motorists.
“In taking a broader view, Council would see that Sydney is fundamentally a vibrant commercial city and, as such, motor vehicles, private and commercial, will remain part of its day-to-day and nightly activity,” he said.
But Nicolaou said it was difficult to see how making Sydney a predominantly walking city would benefit businesses such as retailers.
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“With sensible management, alternative ways of getting around the city can be catered for, while ensuring the commercial life of the city is supported and able to function efficiently,” he said.
More than one-third of central Sydney households do not own a car, which is much higher than the 11 per cent overall across Greater Sydney.
Liberal councillor Lyndon Gannon said increasing walkability was a fine ambition, “but we must get the balance right and plan ahead”.
“The city isn’t just for locals, it is where much of the Australian economy is driven,” Gannon said.
Gannon said the transformation of George Street was fantastic, “but we can’t do that to every street. Businesses need loading zones, postmen need mail zones, and people need to move about.”
A regular cyclist and motorcycle rider, Gannon said he backed the slowing down of traffic.
“I really do want to see streets slowed down. Drivers in Sydney, particularly the high-testosterone 28-year-old male road kings in Ford Raptors, really need to relax,” he said.
The walking strategy is backed by pedestrian lobby group WalkSydney, whose president Marc Lane said the city “would be a lot better starting with a policy of fewer noisy, polluting vehicles”.
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Lane said a street filled with pedestrians was a greater economic resource than a high street choked with traffic.
“Having spent billions on a massive motorway network to bypass the city, now is the time to start removing cars from city streets that these tunnels replace and reprioritising space for people to walk,” he said.
WalkSydney also wants the council to push harder on lowering the speed limit to 30 km/h and wants action on issues such as traffic light timing under the control of the state government.
Lane said the council’s efforts to make streets more pedestrian-friendly were also undermined by traffic signals that do not prioritise walkers, state government roads that are dangerous to cross due to lack of crossings or excessive speed limits, and “urban highways” through central Sydney.
Source Agencies
