MEDIA RELEASE – Tuesday April 12th
Hobart is not a particularly people friendly city. Everywhere there are car parks already, and for those people who cannot use a car, for whatever reason, there are poor options. In Melbourne and other cities including New York, they are closing off streets and working hard on developing public space and public transport. Melbourne has been voted the world’s most liveable city three times out of the last ten years, and has closed off Swanston Street to private cars within the CBD, among many other changes. But instead Hobart builds more car parks.’
MEDIA RELEASE – Tuesday April 12th
TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN HOBART DOOMED TO CLOG UP EVEN MORE
Hobart fails the future vision test.
The city of Hobart is doomed to suffer many more years of continually worsening traffic congestion after last night’s approval by the Hobart City Council of a new car park development in Argyle Street.
As previously stated by Future Transport Tasmania, this car park will cause significant clogging of the three traffic lanes in Argyle Street. Cars will queue up for the present Argyle Street Car Park, opposite the Royal Hobart Hospital, and then more cars will immediately queue up for the new car park in Argyle Street in the following block.
Traffic attempting to turn left into Liverpool Street from Argyle Street, will find their path impeded by queues of cars attempting to get out of the existing Argyle Street car park, and other cars attempting to get into the new one.
Spokesperson for Future Transport Tasmania, Toby Rowallan said: ‘This development may well encourage more people into the city, but in fact all it will encourage is more cars. More cars that will create more traffic jams when they are entering the city to get to the car parks, and more traffic jams when they are leaving the car parks.’
‘Hobart is not a particularly people friendly city. Everywhere there are car parks already, and for those people who cannot use a car, for whatever reason, there are poor options. In Melbourne and other cities including New York, they are closing off streets and working hard on developing public space and public transport. Melbourne has been voted the world’s most liveable city three times out of the last ten years, and has closed off Swanston Street to private cars within the CBD, among many other changes. But instead Hobart builds more car parks.’
‘Hobart urgently needs a vision for the city, a vision which includes a public transport plan, and develops more living and people space within the city. Of course the Hobart City Council cannot arrange for a park and ride system from Kingston or the Eastern Shore, but they can talk to the State Government, they can talk to the Kingborough and Clarence Councils, and together it could happen.’
Mr Rowallan added: ‘World-renowned architect and urban planner Professor Jan Gehl, gave a public lecture in Hobart as recently as February this year, and gave vivid examples of what could be done in any city, and is being done, in places such as Copenhagen, New York and Melbourne. Positive developments that encourage people into city centres, provide living and public space, and a range of transport options. These sorts of development are being talked about and planned in almost every capital city in Australia, including Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide. ‘So it is most disappointing that Hobart is still unable to think past the car.’
