Council needs a sensible approach to traffic management

Labor Candidate for Hobart City Council, Simon Monk said council needed to do more to invest in city fringe transport options.

The removal of cars from the domain foreshore due to rising waters from heavy rain throughout the year showed that a better approach to traffic management is needed.

“Traffic congestion in the CBD is going to become more and more of an issue when $1.3 billion of building development investment in the city centre rolls out over the next few years,” said Mr Monk.

“This will hit people most who live in and around the suburbs of Hobart who commute to work in the city each day.”

“Hobart’s urban congestion rates are by far the lowest of any major city across the nation, but this is one of the reasons why people love living in Hobart.”

“We must come up with genuine answers to ensure congestion issues don’t undermine this way of life.”

The Hobart City Council is however offering no leadership when it comes to this emerging problem.

“On one hand we have council promoting the Gehl Report which advocates taking cars out of the CBD in favour of pedestrians, while at the same time they are subsidising city car parking.”

As part of the ‘Simon for the Suburbs’ campaign to see Council invest in the places where people live, Mr Monk said that investing in transport and parking options for
Hobart residents commuting to the city was a top priority.

“Make-shift car parking at the domain has been a good temporary solution to get day car parking out of the CBD but we must find more sustainable long-term solutions.”

“Bike-lanes and alternative transport options to see less car usage is only part of the solution.”

“By far the biggest mode of transport for Hobart residents is by car and trying to ignore this fact will not fix the emerging congestion problem.”

“Investing in affordable city fringe parking which encourages Hobart residents to combine driving with walking, cycling or with quick and regular connection options must be investigated.”
“This will also help local businesses in the city, freeing up short-term parking for a greater flow of retail trade through the CBD.”

The Greater Hobart Travel Survey has long shown that anywhere between 85 – 90 % of traffic that comes to the CBD is not through traffic but is destined for the CBD.

“Expensive and ineffective options like a multi-billion dollar CBD tunnel based on the bankrupt Sydney Cross City Tunnel or a western city bypass, both requiring a toll to fund, completely miss the mark.”

The problem these options try to address – taking traffic out of the CBD that isn’t intended to be there – doesn’t exist.

“City fringe parking, investing in our local suburbs and connecting our suburban communities is a genuine answer to an emerging problem.”

‘With my commitment to establish a free Saturday bus route, linking our suburbs with the waterfront and Salamanca Markets, we will start to see local communities become truly connected.”