New parking for Lake St
Order set to replace the old Lake St lunacy
CAIRNS Regional Council is set to sign off tomorrow on a $2.1 million parking upgrade of Lake St.
A total of 90 new right-angle parks between Grove and McKenzie streets will be neatly outlined in white paint but motorists will continue to enjoy free parking.
However, there will be strict four and eight-hour limits enforced which could impact Cairns Hospital workers who have to this point enjoyed all-day free parking.
Work is expected to last 14 weeks.
A FINAL vestige of the parking free-for-all that once reigned supreme in the inner city is about to finally get the “formalisation” treatment.
Cairns Regional Council’s meeting tomorrow is poised to commit $2.1 million towards upgrading the last stretch of chaotic carparking still left in the Cairns Hospital precinct.
The tract of Lake St between Grove and McKenzie streets will no longer be a mess of 90-degree parks, angled spots and unmarked spaces available for unlimited hours.
The new regimen – a precise street of about 90 new right-angle parks with immaculate white lines – will remain ticket-free but with strict time limits enforced by council parking inspectors.
It means workers at the nearby Cairns Hospital would be forced to shift their cars rather than the current all-day free parking arrangements they currently enjoy.
Centre parking and kerbside spots will be limited to four-hour stints between Charles and Grove streets, while a more generous eightour limit will be imposed between Charles and McKenzie streets.
“The Lake St project is the final stage of the CBD North Parking Program which aims to increase parking supply in the Cairns North area,” a report before tomorrow’s council meeting states.
“During the planning and design phase of this project, this section of Lake St was identified as a sub-arterial road, and would therefore require significant pavement enhancements to the running lanes to provide adequate service for traffic.
“Works will be staged to ensure suitable pedestrian and vehicular access is maintained to the surrounding residences throughout the construction period.”
Work is expected to last 14 weeks “assuming no delays are encountered during the construction phase”.
Landscaping, tree planting, new traffic islands, pavement and street lighting upgrades will all be part of the project if it gains the council’s approval tomorrow.
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