For some time traffic and parking issues on Saturdays within and adjacent to Bicentennial Reserve have created impacts for local communities as well as reducing the quality of experience for all park users. In addition, as capacity has been reached within surrounding streets and in the car park use of recreational infrastructure within the park has been either discouraged or disallowed.
Whilst very supportive of community recreation, learn to swim and sporting endeavours at Bicentennial Reserve, we are mindful of impacts on the community who surround the Reserve. Consequently our investigation regarding traffic and parking have sought to better understand the issues and identify improved means of managing them both for users of Bicentennial Reserve and local residents.
Given this, Council is taking steps in a positive direction by actively managing the traffic and parking in the vicinity of Bicentennial Reserve to achieve the following;
• Reduce impacts of use and users on the local Community • Facilitate use of the facilities at Bicentennial Reserve • Improve the experience for all park users • Improve pedestrian, user and road safety within the vicinity • Manage traffic efficiently • Reduce cost to council of managing Saturday use • Encourage sustainability through a reduction in private vehicle trips and encouraging alternative modes of transportation within the city
In summary the proposed changes to the existing traffic and parking conditions involve; i) Create a new driveway entrance into the car park for traffic entering from Pendey Street and a one way circuit through the car park. ii) Exit from the car park in one direction only (toward Willoughby Road). iii) Creation of a “Kiss and Ride” drop-off and pick up point outside of the car park in Small Street (east of Marlborough Road). iv) Temporary closures at the southern end of Marlborough Road, Salisbury Lane and Tulloh Street. These closures are only proposed on Saturdays during the Winter Sports Season to prevent congestion within Small Street and reduce traffic in residential streets. These measures will replace the Saturday “No Entry” restrictions which have been in place for the past 3 seasons. v) Possible increased Saturday parking restrictions in Pendey Street, Marlborough Road and Salisbury Road to allow greater ease of residential access and egress and safer movement along Pendey Street.
For a graphical representation of these proposed changes, to be implemented before the start of the 2010 Winter Sports Season, please see the attached “Proposed TMP_A4.pdf” find in the library section of this page.