Bridge Road is a shopping street in Richmond. It can be better for business by becoming the core of a 20-minute neighbourhood where local residents regularly visit, shop and linger.
Problems
Bridge Road is struggling because there aren’t enough people living nearby, and because it doesn’t have a unique attraction such as the sporting precinct at the end of Swan Street.
2017 Streetscape Masterplan
In 2017 Council invested time and money to develop a Streetscape Masterplan which failed to resolve the core issue of how to balance Movement and Place; i.e. should government allocate space to act as a peak-hour through-traffic arterial, or to act a destination that is attractive to shoppers and is safe for walking, biking and public transport? In the end, this failure resulted in ‘no change from the status quo’, i.e. the retention of a peak-hour through-traffic arterial, which has doomed the strip to continuing gradual decay.
Opportunities
Bridge Road can attract more patronage becoming the core of a 20-minute neighbourhood:
Bridge Road can be revitalised by widening the footpaths, installing separated bicycle lanes and building level-access tram stops. On-street parking for shoppers can be increased by relocating bays to the first 5-10 spots on each side street, with the first bay reserved for deliveries.
The key is to understand that on-street parking isn’t the answer – if Bridge Road is attractive then people will find a way to get there.
Example
An example of how Bridge Road can look like can be seen from Carlisle Street St Kilda. Note the wider footpaths, and the separated bicycle lane continuing over the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant level access tram stops.
Support from VicRoads, the RACV, and Infrastructure Australia
VicRoads have designated Bridge Road as a Strategic Cycling Corridor, the RACV have nominated Bridge Road as a bicycle superhighway, and Infrastructure Australia have included RACV’s proposal for bicycle superhighways in their 2020 Infrastructure Priority List. Both Strategic Cycling Corridors and bicycle superhighways require a protected bicycle lane, capable of carrying a large number of people and enabling them to be used by a wide range of cyclists, not just the brave.
Better for drivers
A best-practice bicycle lane can carry more than double the commuters in peak hour than a clearway lane. If more people choose to cycle to the city instead of driving then there is more space in the vehicle lane for cars, which is better for those who need to drive.
Drive-over tram stops
Another problem is that drivers keep knocking away the guidance bollards on the elevated (or drive-over) tram stops.
Design guides
Learn more from this collection of design guides, including the NACTO Urban Street Design Guide:
