No More Clearways in Melbourne

Brunswick Needs You

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:23:00 +0000

Residents of Albert Street in Brunswick are opposing plans to build a 14-storey tower in Albert Street near Safeway. The development includes 192 dwellings, retail space and 197 underground car-parking spaces -- a large-scale development that sets a precedent for high-rise residential buildings that will change the character of our neighbourhood. You can download a Word document to fax an objection to the council from here.

Sydney Road protest

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 10:35:00 +0000

There’s a public meeting to protest the clearway extension plans on Thursday, June 5 at 4.30pm at Brunswick Town Hall, corner of Sydney Road and Dawson Street. All welcome.

Lygon Street update

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 10:32:00 +0000

The clearway times on Lygon Street won’t be extended, as Lygon Street is considered a local road, according to information we have received. There is also pressure to include a properly marked bicycle lane on Sydney Road as part of the clearway extension, to ensure that bikes, trams and ars have equal access to road space.

Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Fri, 16 May 2008 01:37:00 +0000

Download a PDF of the strategy, which includes proposals to give Sydney Road separate bike, car and tram lanes and to prioritise walking and cycling as transport modes in Moreland.

Carlo Carli on a different approach to clearways

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Fri, 16 May 2008 01:07:00 +0000

I think the issue of clearways and the use of road space should be a little more sophisticated than just a no clearway stance. Parking interferes with trams and cycling. I think we should re-engineer Sydney Road to favour sustainable transport – walking, cycling and public transport. The key here is separating the local small business issues from the transport issues and addressing them one by one.
In transport the issue here is road space management and how we:
• Ensure right of way for trams and other forms of public transport
• Expand cycling and walking facilities
• Encourage the government to be more balanced in its implementation.
Traditionally expanding clearways in Melbourne means expanding road space, and more space for single occupancy vehicles which is most inefficient. What we should be calling for is, firstly, negotiation/consultation from the government and secondly, a new type of clearway (more like the London model) where parking is not replaced with car lanes but with a tram right-of-way and a bike lane.
How about a Sydney Road in peak hour with one bike lane, one car lane and one tram lane? This already exists on Mount Alexander Road. It could be done in a way that makes the road safer and discourages through traffic. Remember Brunswick has the highest number of people who cycle to work in Melbourne.
Carlo Carli MP | Member for Brunswick

Moreland Greens media release

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:10:00 +0000

Greens says extension of clearway hours wrong answer, says Government
failing to ask the right question
Moreland Greens councillor Andrea Sharam said that the real issue was
about getting people out of cars, onto bikes, into walking and onto
public transport.
Ms Sharam said that the Victorian government’s plan to extend
clearway times to 6.30am to 10am and 3pm to 7pm:
• would harm retail trading and compromise the viability of many inner city
shopping strips
• did not consider that increasing the hostility of a street by
increasing the clearway times discouraged pedestrians and tram users
• that congestion acts to calm traffic and discourages car use
• that tram travel times could be improved through other measures such as
priority signalling, no right hand turns for vehicles, raised platform
- curb extension type tram stops that force vehicles to slow down and
stop for passengers
• that tram travel time is only one measure of satisfaction for tram
patrons – trying to get on or off a tram during peak hours where
clearways operate, for example, is dangerous.
She said that it was a policy that put car travel first and disregarded
the many negative consequences and alternatives. “And let’s not forget
that the Citylink freeway was supposed to solve the problem – clearly it
hasn’t and neither will turning inner city shopping strips into little
freeways for a longer part of the day.”

Further information 0428 999 606

Johnston Street, Collingwood

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:08:00 +0000

We lived in Abbotsford in the 1980s and had an office in Johnston Street, Collingwood until the early 1990s. It’s one of the most traffic-blasted streets in inner Melbourne. If you want to see why we don’t want clearways extended on other main roads in the inner city, take a walk down Johnston Street from Smith Street to Hoddle street around five o’clock in the afternoon …

Labor abandons the inner city

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:19:00 +0000

Is Brumby Labor abandoning the inner city? The tunnel and the clearway plans suggest they are thinking of people who drive cars and live in the suburbs above everyone else. The inner city is just in the way of people who need to dive through (or over the top of) it. Labor seats such as Coburg and Richmond already have a large Green vote -- will the next election be Carlo Carli’s last?

Morleand City Council press release

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:49:00 +0000

Moreland City Council issued a press release about the clearway plan, which is rather buried on their (until today not functioning) website here under the link to media releases. The focus is on the effect on traders, with a nod to "the colourful street atmosphere that defines Moreland."

Bridge Road protest

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:33:00 +0000

Traders in Bridge Road, Richmond blocked a lane this morning by marching against the clearway extension The Age reports online, including the photo here.

Press release from Sydney Road Brunswick Association

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Wed, 07 May 2008 11:11:00 +0000

BRUMBYS DECISION to extend CLEARWAY times on main roads from CITY.

The Sydney Road Brunswick Association supports small business. We are a traders group, which is here to rejuvenate Sydney Road into a thriving shopping strip, for the benefit of all the Community.

It is clearly counterproductive to our mission for the State Government to announce a
plan to extend existing clearway times, as we see this step as encouraging more car travel, and as detrimental to the viability of small, local business. This is yet another blow to small businesses who are already struggling with the reduction in peoples’ spending, due to the interest rate increases. Local shopping strips will basically lose business.

Is the State Government fully aware of the impact, not only on small businesses, but on people?

• People will not stop off to do their quick ‘before and after work’ shopping.

• People will not stop to shop after daily school and kinder pick up’s (3-4pm)

• A 5 hour shopping window, between 10am and 3pm reduces time to shop.

• Most shoppers (who are women), are working and unable to shop at this time.

• Local shops will lose business as people will go to ‘hard top’ shopping centres for more of their shopping needs, where parking is abundant 7 days a week.

• People who take Public Transport are unable to carry as much and will not tend to buy as much.

• More shopping will be done on weekends, in people’s leisure times, as shopping will become to restrictive during the week.

• Deliveries to the street will be restricted to 5 hrs, and couriers having to carry goods across the street, as parking will be congested to one side. Double parking will be more prevalent.

• Sydney Road, with its narrow footpaths, will be dangerous for shoppers, with cars traveling 60kmh along the curb with only 1.5 metres for pedestrians to walk in many instances.

• The harsh, fast-car environment at clearway times will deter customers, especially with children and those disabled members of the community with frames or wheelchairs.

• Faster tram speeds will add to the threat to pedestrians and locals.

• Parking of cars will have a huge impact on residential parking areas, as cars get forced to park in the narrow residential side streets.

With no public consultation or consideration to those who will ultimately be affected by these changes, the State Government should reconsider this snap decision and allow for proper public consultation and input from the many sectors in the community and business, who will bare the brunt of this announcement.

What will happen to that great community slogan : SHOP LOCAL ??
Coordinator : Claire Perry

Sydney Road Brunswick Association
Moreland Community Enterprise Centre
Ground Floor
233 Sydney Road Brunswick 3056
Postal Address: Po Box 770 Brunswick Lower 3056
Phone: (03) 9380 2005
Fax: (03) 9380 4930
Info@sydneyroad.com.au
Website

Traders revolt against clearways

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:43:00 +0000

Opposition to the clearway extension is growing among inner-city traders, as The Age reports today.

Bridge Road protest

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:59:00 +0000

There will be a protest meeting/demo against the clearway extensions organised by Bridge Road, Richmond traders. All are welcome. The details are:
Thursday 8 May 8.30am (this Thursday)
194 Bridge Road, Richmond
Bring placards, banners and walking shoes!

City of Yarra statement

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:57:00 +0000

The City of Yarra has issued a media release, which is available on their website here

Local council opposition

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:50:00 +0000

The Age reported local council opposition in this story.

Small business blasts Brumby

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:47:00 +0000

The Herald Sun reports here small business opposition to the clearway extension plans.

Herald Sun readers respond

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:01:00 +0000

Readers of the Herald-Sun have been posting to the newspaper’s blog about the clearway plan. They aren’t happy, either.

Lygon Street, East Brunswick

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:14:00 +0000

Although it was not mentioned in The Age story, it seems that Lygon Street, East Brunswick may also have its clearway times extended -- a disaster for an area that has developed a vibrant street culture in the last five years after being almost a wasteland for a couple of decades.

Open letter to residents of Moreland

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Holden) — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:25:00 +0000

Dear fellow residents of Moreland, comrades, compagni,

On Wednesday April 30, John Brumby introduced a plan to extend clearways on a whole series of roads, including Sydney Road and a number of other shopping strips. The clearway would extend from 6.30-10am and then from 3pm to 7pm, turning Sydney Road into an inhospitable and dangerous highway for 71/2 hours a day (instead of the current 41/2 hours). This would start on July 1.

We have written to The Age (see below). We could say a lot more, but you get the idea:

Dear Letters Editor,

I was astounded to read of the state government’s plan to extend clearways along a number of shopping streets (The Age, Wednesday 30 April), including the heart of my own community, Sydney Rd. As it is both the Brunswick and Coburg shopping strips die between 4pm and 6pm, when the deafening noise of fast traffic wipes out all other community life. It is already a dangerous period for pedestrians, cyclists and tram passengers when traffic speed increases and cars often fail to stop for descending tram passengers and pedestrians. Now the government wants to extend it so it will affect children coming home from school. This announcement comes one day after the report that greenhouse gas emissions are growing far more rapidly than even the most pessimistic estimates developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (The Age, 29 April) and in the face of rising fuel prices.
A few Sundays ago, as part of Cyclovia, Sydney Rd was closed to cars from 8am to 2pm but open to bicycles, trams, pedestrians and kids’ scooters and its residents reclaimed the street. The most striking thing was the quiet– you could hear voices and the quiet hum of trams. You could stop safely to talk to friends and neighbours, to browse in a shop and to have a coffee or a meal. You and your kids could ride anxiety free. We had a glimpse of what a car-free future could be like. In Bogota, Columbia, Cyclovia is held weekly over 90km of its road network. Instead our government wants to turn our shopping streets into super highways for 7 1/2 hours a day. Let’s oppose this plan with everything we’ve got!

Yours,

etc

If you are also upset about this plan can we encourage you to contact Carlo Carli, John Brumby, the transport minister and write letters to the local and other papers (the council is opposed to this plan). If this fails we think we should take an example from the cabbies (what great direct action and unity) and blockade Sydney Road!

We know there are hundreds of things to be upset about, but this affects us all directly!

To help, here are some email addresses and addresses:

carlo.carli@parliament.vic.gov.au (our local member, who most of you probably know personally)

We think the Ministers and Premier only respond to letters. We've heard you get no reply to emails.
John Brumby
Office of the Premier
1 Treasury Place
Melbourne
Australia 3000

Hon. Tim Pallas, MP
Minister for Roads and Ports
Department of Transport
GPO Box 2797
Melbourne VIC 3001
Australia

or Ministerial Office
Level 16, 121 Exhibition Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: 9655 6210

or Electorate Office
36 Station Place
Werribee 3030
Ph: 9742 6888
Fax: 9742 6866
Fax: 9655 6651