News

Melbourne’s Lord Mayor, Robert Doyle, has unveiled the final $25.6 million plan to transform the city’s Swanston Street into a public transport thoroughfare.

The proposal includes widening the footpath, introducing dedicated bicycle lanes and adding raised platforms at tram stations. Private vehicles and taxis will be banned from using the street, while delivery vehicles will have limited access for out of hours service.

The report also recommends four city squares are developed at City Square, Bourke Street Mall, State Library and RMIT.

The City of Melbourne says this is the ‘final plan’ for the redevelopment of the area, which has been through several stages of design proposals. Doyle had initially promised to improve road access to the street. Melbourne City Councillors will review the proposal on Tuesday 2 February.

In April and May 2009, the council reviewed seven design options for the redevelopment of Swanston Street, as part of their objective to transform Swanston Street into “the pre-eminent civic space for all Melburnians”. The proposals were reviewed in a community consultation process last year. Option six – the current proposal – was the preferred solution, as it focused on access for public transport, bicycles and pedestrians.