Big shift in thinking

Poll calls for bicycle project to be shelved

The search for a park in the city will only get harder in the next five years.

High-density developments for WorkSafe and Deakin University’s student tower have recently opened.

Residential high-rises Miramar and The Mercer, as well as the National Disability Insurance Agency headquarters, are being built.

And short-stay accommodation towers at The Ritz and Holiday Inn Hotel will get under way shortly.

The influx of residents, workers and tourists they will all bring means the car may have to be displaced as the transport mode of choice — or prepare for more ten- sions over congestion and parking.

Cr Harwood says public transport will have to be improved, more parkand-ride options on the edge of the city will have to be created, and better bike connections introduced.

“It is about making sure people can get through as seamlessly as possible.”

As is evidenced by the High St negotiations, it is also a delicate balancing act.

Work behind the scenes at City Hall is focusing on trying to juggle the future supply and demand of parking in central Geelong. That project is trying to appease the business sector, while also attempting to meet the city’s social and environmental objectives. That includes a Green Spine — as introduced on Malop St — that has a cycling route from Johnstone Park to the Botanic Gardens. A new shopping, al fresco and event space, dubbed the City Heart, is being pursued. And the long-running issue of removing non-essential trucks from the CBD is also being revisited.

The council hopes that intersection upgrades and wayfinding signs will encourage truck drivers to avoid Ryrie St and use other routes south of the city.

Again, addressing that perennial issue is a lot easier in theory than it is in practice.

But the council says it is committed to ushering in change, and driving as much traffic out of the CBD as it can. It’s just a matter of how quickly it can take all the competing interests along on the same ride. MORE than 40 per cent want Geelong council to abandon the Building Better Bike Connections project through High St or change the route, a survey has found.

An online poll, which yesterday had 788 submissions, found the most popular option was for the shopping strip to be left alone.

“None of these options really provide a solution,” David said.

“Traders, cyclists and the community don’t want it in High St. Develop a different route.”

Others said critics must cast an eye to the future and consider a slowing need to drive to the shops.

“I think it’s a little shortsighted to consider the need of parking spaces as a reason to not provide safer space for pedestrians and cyclists,” Christopher said.

“With the speed of technology development, driverless cars and food delivery apps becoming a reality, these options now will be more cost-effective than when desperately needed in 10 years.”

Mat called for the plan to be the catalyst for an attempt to overhaul all of Belmont’s town centre. “We have an oversupply of carparks (over 1000 just in the top half of High St), with one-third sitting vacant on the busiest of days. This is inefficient land use.

“Landowners need to be working with council to identify strategies to attract independent small businesses to our arcades and to replace the vacant ‘big box’ sites with mixed use development that incorporates retail, office and residential elements.”