Shoppers to flood M1
New malls will add to traffic woe
THINK this has been a bad week on the M1?
Wait until next Christmas when the city’s newest shopping mecca gives motorists another reason to flock to the already congested motorway.
As the M1 endured its third successive day of holiday gridlock yesterday, Griffith University transport expert Matthew Burke highlighted the impact the city’s town centres were having on the motorway – with the rising Coomera version to join the list from late 2018.
“These days you have more and more shopping infrastructure along that corridor … and these are some of the biggest shopping days of the year,” he said.
“Since the 1960s when they were invented, shopping mall (developers) have sought to locate themselves near freeway interchanges … and as the M1 grew of more importance, that’s where they have wanted to be.
“You’ve got Helensvale Town Centre, Robina Town Centre and now Coomera, which is under construction.
“It’s been no different this week at Bondi Junction in Sydney and Chatswood in Melbourne. Customers have added tens of thousands of trips to the (traffic networks) and local roads just can’t cope.”
First proposed more than two decades ago, the $500 million first stage of the Coomera Town Centre is rising rapidly near Dreamworld. It is expected to welcome its first customers late next year, with city leaders hoping the centre will become “the Pacific Fair of the north”.
Dr Burke said one saving grace was Coomera Town Centre would be accessible from a railway station.
“Think about Robina Town Centre and the fact we built it in the mid-90s more than a kilometre from the rail line,” he said. “What a giant mistake that was. Coomera will be a hell of a lot better ... we’re not repeating those mistakes but those (decisions) of the past in the non-planning of the Gold Coast are what today makes it so difficult for transport planners.”
Yesterday saw the 40km northern M1 stretch from Springwood to Helensvale under pressure, with the 16km southbound stretch from Robina to Tugun also slow going. For some motorists it would have felt like Groundhog Day after similar jams unfolded the previous two days.
While social media users continued to express concerns about how the roads would cope during the Commonwealth Games, Dr Burke said he was hopeful people would use a different approach.
“Unlike Robina Town Centre, it’s going to be very difficult to park your car at the venues,” he said.
“Anyone in transport planning knows we need to get everyone out of this mindset that they’re just going to make a significant car trip to get to a Games venue. They are going to have to plan around making use of public transport.”
CUSTOMERS HAVE ADDED TENS OF THOUSANDS TRIPS AND LOCAL ROADS CAN’T COPE
MATTHEW BURKE