Push to close Bunda St?

Revamp Bunda St and City Walk at the same time to make both of them one way shared zones.

I think a Childers Street style arrangement could work well on Bunda Street. Most motorists know to avoid that street unless they actually need to use it, and there’s a huge amount of pedestrian traffic in the area.

And it REALLY needs a facelift.

Gobbo said :

You may also be aware that you are not permitted to drive across a pedestrian crossing until the pedestrian is no longer on the crossing.

I’m generally the person who, if walking towards a crossing and seeing a car has been there for a while, will stop and wave the car through. Of course, often my kind deed is undone by some tosser crossing the other way who keeps walking while everyone else stops.

That said, if there’s some idiot who pulls up, revving the engine to indicate irritation at having to stop for a single person, I’ll take my sweet time walking across the crossing, possibly throwing a bemused glance in their direction

How many demerit points is the wrong way at 80km worth?

Not as many as if you were doing 20km/h but the speedo said 80km/h… Would be a tad smelly, though.

5km/h is a bit hard to maintain, that’s literally walking pace.

20 would be more practical, and hence enforceable.

#22. I’m not calling for all Canberra streets to be tranformed like this. Nor am I calling for motor vehicles to be banned altogether on Bunda Street. I’m calling for streets to be designed with the aim of the majority of street users in mind, which does not happen in Australia at the moment. In commercial areas, this is typically people on foot. Surely if the majority of people in a given area are pedestrians, it’s only fair that their needs be catered for above the needs of the minority in cars.

Motorised traffic on Bunda street typically rolls at 20-30km/h, when cars aren’t stopped at pedestrian crossings. Why would it be such an issue for cars to slow to 5-10km/h? If there are no crossings and people in cars and people on foot mingle nicely, then people in cars will not have to wait a minute or two at each pedestrian crossing, as pedestrians may cross wherever they like. With cars rolling at a more constant 5km/h, it’s likely not to change vehicle travel time, whilst making the area more pleasant for everyone.

Where “shared space” areas have been implemented around the world, businesses always record increased sales. This can only mean increased numbers of people on foot, more people enjoying the area. People don’t shop when they’re driving. As a result, property values rise, the area becomes nicer still, the area becomes more livable still. The wins keep coming.

Personally I would prefer a fountain and a couple of trees to slow cars instead of a speed hump, some white lines and some street signs.

It’s not the sound of cars rushing past that creates a city vibe, it’s the people. Get more people into an area and the vibe will improve.

“one way and 20k would balance a lot of the concerns though.”

How many demerit points is the wrong way at 80km worth?

You may also be aware that you are not permitted to drive across a pedestrian crossing until the pedestrian is no longer on the crossing.

The wording (back when I did my licence), also said that you had to stop and wait if someone is “approaching” the crossing. Which is really vague in a place like Bunda St where you can see people coming from miles away…

Forget about the traffic closure thing – what Pedal Power and the Greens have been saying as their main goal is that Bunda St should be one way, with a separated cycle lane. Just like this:

http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/rsrc/PDFs/WalkingSkatingCycling/BikeFactSheet.pdf

Good for cars, bikes and pedestrians, and safer too. That way everyone should be happy. Government doesn’t seem to be interested in this idea at all though.

TP 3000 said :

If Bunda Street is closed, where am I going to go to abuse cyclists who ride across zebra crossings & taxi’s that cut in front of me?

I am sure they will migrate to somewhere else!

I have terrible memories of Bunda Street. *shudders*

When I was going for my drivers licence, I was required to drive up Bunda Street during lunchtime.

You will be aware that there were two sets of pedestrian crossings along that street.

You will be aware that at lunchtime many pedestrians want to cross at those two crossings.

You may also be aware that you are not permitted to drive across a pedestrian crossing until the pedestrian is no longer on the crossing. I was well aware of this. My defacto brother-in-law had sat for his test shortly before me. He failed it on a pedestrian crossing violation.

Now I know as responsible drivers, we all cautiously proceed once the pedestrian has passed our section of the road, but you can’t do that as a learner taking your test.

If you were behind me on that day, I am sorry.

And in this case I think Stanhope’s right – cars DO bring a bit of life to the area. I don’t like fumes if I’m eating either, but the whole of Garema Place, City Walk etc is there to avoid that.

JB has the right idea – one way and 20k. I’d vote for that! (and a cycle lane)

#16, #18, #19 Why?

Unbeliever said :

I don’t support Bunda St being closed to vehicles. I really love the drifts of vehicle exhaust into my meals and coffee when I’m dining alfresco.

Better than the cigarette smoek, farkn!

#15.

The problem is we are not Dutch and Canberra is a completely different urban environment.

Canberra is mostly quite suburbs with many areas to have a peacefull walk, free from traffic, noise etc etc. It is easy enough for us to have some quite time outdoors.

If you live (home, shop and work) surrounded by traffic, in a busy built up environment, your senses being bombarded all day long, it makes a lot of sense to create areas where the populace can chill out and socialise free of city energy.

Here though, it is the opposite. We are surrounded by peace and quite and some people do like to get a hit of that city buz. Bunda street is one the few places that has that vibe. Despite how much it offends the Greens or Pedal Power, not everyone wants to live in their idea of nirvana, some people want the buz, like the dirt, want the noise of a city, even if just for a little while.

Those who want a life of quite cafes and walks in the park are more than well catered for in this town, and they should stop effin up for others who live in this town who would like something different from what the Greens and Pedal Power deem as right.

Don’t like the feel of Bunda Street, then go somewhere else for gods sake.

If Bunda Street is closed, where am I going to go to abuse cyclists who ride across zebra crossings & taxi’s that cut in front of me?

But I have thought that Bunda Street would be a good location for a Canberra Centre Bus Station. As buses can enter from the Mort Street end & follow though to the other end, with some services heading towards London Circuit/Ainsile Avenue or others going past Casino Canberra

There are enough traffic free areas in Civic. Most of which I have observed are quite lifeless these days, the central hub of activity and social meeting now being Bunda Street.

If it works why break it.

Which is why I think one way is a good idea, or maybe slow speed limit. Maybe they could put a speed camera in the middle of Bunda Street?

Exactly referred to #16.

Exactly.

Traffic adds a feeling of being in a city. Sounds, smell and the movement add to the ambience.

There are enough traffic free areas in Civic. Most of which I have observed are quite lifeless these days, the central hub of activity and social meeting now being Bunda Street.

If it works why break it.

no cars should = no cyclists.

Bunda street is in a pretty horrific state. As the main road through civic’s pimary commercial district, it really needs work considering it looks a tad 3rd world.

This would be the perfect location for the ACT to trial a Dutch style “woonerf”, or a UK style “shared space”. Which is essentially a street designed primarily for the needs of pedestrians, secondly for the needs of cyclists, and thirdly for the needs of motorised traffic, with right of way rules also applying in that order.

The primary benefit being the needs of goods vehicles are still catered for, however the needs of the majority of the people using the street (pedestrians) are considered first and foremost. At the moment the needs of pedestrians are always considered last, if at all, when a street is being planned.

Similar to a shared zone, but with more effort put into it than just putting up “shared zone” signs as Australian road authorities tend to do. Gutters removed, bitumen torn up and replaced with pavers, no distinction at all between “footpath” and “street”. Just space. An example from the UK:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:New_Road,_Brighton_-_shared_space.jpg

Essentially the street has to be torn up and re-implemented so that no driver will be comfortable exceeding walking pace in their vehicle at any point, even if there is no speed limit in place.

For the critics, this quote from Wikipedia “Since the zebra crossings and traffic signs were replaced with a spacious fountain, benches and other street furniture, the Skvallertorget square in Norrköping has experienced no accidents, mean traffic speeds have dropped from 21 to 16 km/h (13 to 10 mph) and liveability has increased.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_space

No-one’s mentioned the proposed bike lane right through the guts of it (if it does become pedestrianised). I really love the idea of cyclists racing through.

pug206gti said :

I’m still grumbling about the public car park over from the BP is now a paid one no matter when you use it.

Don’t worry, it will eventually be a residental complex.

I’m still grumbling about the public car park over from the BP is now a paid one no matter when you use it.

Try to remember that half the businesses in Garema place and city walk rely on Bunda St for trade access (i.e. Delivery trucks)

one way and 20k would balance a lot of the concerns though.

Or make it one way, with a 20kmn speed limit.

Allows pick-up & set-down etc, still would keep a little of the bustle that does add some atmosphere (closing it would leave something of a blank space). What they really need is the Chaser boys citizens infringement officer booking wankers cruising in their fulli-sic-mobile. That is what the other end of Braddon in for.

It’s just the next stage of Civic! When I was a kid, Petrie Plaza and Garema Place and City walk were actually streets. The grand entrance to DJs (where Subway is now) was onto the main street. They all got closed off and paved. Bunda St would be a good next progression. Heck, they built a shopping mall right over the top of Ainslie Avenue, after all.

I think it should be closed. I agree with sepi, it’s pointless driving down there most times anywat.

Close it already. Or make it one way, with a 20kmn speed limit.

Noone in their right n=mind would try to drive down there at lunchtime anyway.

They should consider making like Childers Street – raising the road up so it level with the paths, narrowing it in sections so only one car can pass and then creating a ‘shared zone’. Actually seems to work quite well.

I don’t support Bunda St being closed to vehicles. I really love the drifts of vehicle exhaust into my meals and coffee when I’m dining alfresco.

But where will all the Commodores, Falcons and Skylines show off to each other?

But you can get good parking on weekends if you get the right spots early enough, haha.

I think they just need to put a few more pedestrian crossings in to establish some order. 😉

I don’t see much of a problem with closing it to vehicles. It’s not like it provides essential public access to anything that you couldn’t get to on foot and all the shopping centre car parks can be accessed from the next street up.

One way would definitely be a good thing. There is too much blocking of traffic with two way. Having one way will let people be able to do their laps, reach parking and make deliveries and the hold ups should hopefully be less.