Every example you look at from around the world where clearways have been created 24 hours a day, retail trade goes up. That is the reality of it.
- Peter Moore, Executive Director, UITP (International Association of Public Transport)
The build up in the popularity of trains has now been matched by increases in patronage for trams . This is creating an increased demand from the travelling public for more services, bigger and modern trams, and more reliable services.
Melbourne is unusual in two regards. We have the largest tram system in the world. And we have a system that largely runs on inner suburban streets unseparated in large parts from other forms of traffic.
This creates conflicts for road space – particularly in Melbourne’s case given the split in responsibilities and a desire to protect suburban strip shopping by providing parking access on main streets.
Local and International surveys contradict the claim that removing on street parking will lead to a decline of retail trade.
High Street, Northcote
As a part of the route 86 upgrade project Darebin City Council surveyed visitors and businesses to assess the viability of reducing car parking in order to make tram stops accessible on High Street, Northcote in 2008.
The findings of the survey were:
- A greater percentage of High street visitors walked (36%) or caught public transport (22%) and were more willing to lose car parking spaces to accommodate streetscape improvements then visitors to Northcote Central/Plaza
- Visitors to High Street place a higher level of importance on cleanliness, pedestrian access and safety then business respondents who placed the most value on car parking; and
- Retailers over estimated car based travel and underestimated how many shoppers walked, cycled or took public transport to do their shopping at their store
Acland Street, St Kilda
Port Phillip Council conducted research around Acland Street, St Kilda as part of a project to widen footpaths and reduce car parking. Retailers were concerned that the changes would lose them business. However the survey results confounded these concerns by finding that:
- Only 25% of shoppers drove their cars to Acland Street
- More than 50% of their customers walked
- More than 50% of their customers are local who preferred an walking environment with less cars and pollution.
Graz, Austria
In 1991 a study in Graz, Austria revealed the disparity between retailers interest in the car and their customers much broader travel choices, It was found that retailers over estimate the importance of a car to shopping and underestimate how many of their customers used public transport, cycled or walked.
Retailers believed that 58% used their car, when in reality only 32% did. They also thought only a quarter of their customers walked, when in reality the figure was 44%.
Bristol, England
Sustrans, a major sustainable travel non government organisation in the United Kingdom, conducted a survey in 2006 for Bristol City Council funded by Civitas – a EU funded initiative to promote better transport choices in European cities.
They found that:
- Shoppers are locals – 86 percent lived less than two miles away from the local shopping area
- Less than one quarter of shoppers drive, while almost two thirds walk and cycle
- Traders think that 41 percent of shoppers drive cars (really 22%) and 42 percent walk (really 51%).
Toronto, Canada
A 2009 study of Bloor Street in Toronto was undertaken to estimate the importance of one street parking to business. The purpose of the study was to determine whether vocal opponents of bicycle lanes reflect the opinions of the general public and whether predictions of negative economic impact could be substantiated.
The study surveyed 61 traders and 538 shoppers and found that:
- 46 percent people walked to shop, 32 percent used public transport, 12 percent cycled and only 10 percent drove
- Patrons arriving by foot and bicycle visit the most often
- Patrons arriving by foot and bicycle spend the most money per month
- Patrons would prefer a bicycle lane to widened street walks by a ratio of four to one
In summary Victorian and international summaries reveal that pedestrians, bike riders and public transport users are much more important to the economic health of strip shopping areas then their traders believe.
It suggests that those who support trader opposition to Keeping Melbourne Moving do so based on a false premise. Parking cars, and the interaction of parking cars with pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users does not lead to a good mix. Opposing clearway extensions and promoting sustainable transport culture is incompatible.
However, Keeping Melbourne Moving, needs to be questioned in the light of these surveys. The emphasis in KMM to expanding road space for private car and truck movements, without (as in many areas) protecting tram lanes will not lead to desirable economic outcomes for local shopping areas, nor improved amenity for public transport users.
As a consequence much more effort needs to be made in developing public transport priority on our major tram routes where KMM has been implemented then to date.
1 comment:
Interesting post, though I would note that the Northcote and St Kilda examples are of limited use in the wider debate, because simply removing car parking is not the same as introducing Clearways. The latter, without other measures is likely to result in increased road capacity for cars, as well as traffic at speed immediately adjacent to the footpath -- likely to be particularly troublesome for al fresco dining, and plainly not what Darebin and Port Phillip councils had in mind.
I too read Peter Moore's claim; would be interested to know the basis for that.
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