Mobility and Access Zones

We all want to be able to move around, and get to where we need to go. Unfortunately, our streets create a barrier for many people, because they are really only designed for one mode – driving and storing private cars – which makes it difficult for people to choose other modes of transport that may work better for them.

We suggest that the City of Yarra can improve mobility and access for many people by establishing a Mobility and Access Zone within 150 metres of every household. This would require approximately 1,000 zones across the municipality. Each zone would occupy the space of five car parking bays, and include a:

  • disabled car parking bay,
  • 15-minute loading bay,
  • car sharing bay,
  • covered hangar for bike parking, and a
  • corral for shared e-scooters and e-bikes.
Example of a disabled parking bay. Image credit: Apple Maps.
Example of a car sharing bay. Image credit: Apple Maps.
Example of a covered hangar for parking bikes. Image credit: Better by Bike.
Example of a corral for parking shared e-scooters and e-bikes. Image credit: Washington DC District Department of Transportation.

The City of Yarra has 47,000 on-street car parking bays. By reallocating 5,000 bays to create 1,000 Mobility and Access Zones, we can make it much easier for:

  • people with disabilities to park near the address they would like to visit
  • people making deliveries to park near their destination, without double parking and blocking the street
  • people who use car sharing to quickly and conveniently walk to a car sharing vehicle
  • people who use cargo bikes to securely store them out of the weather
  • people who use e-scooters or share bikes to park near their destination, without blocking the footpath.
Proposal for 1,000 Mobility and Access Zones. Image credit: Streets Alive Yarra.

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Published 30th January 2023