Streets Alive Yarra is building an online record of broad community support for walking, cycling, public transport, trees, and place making. One way that we do this is to have locals stand up as champions for their street or neighbourhood.
Please welcome our newest champion, Harrison Watt – our champion for Johnston Street.
Having previously lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, I am a strong advocate of commuting by bike – it’s quick, cheap and has the lowest carbon footprint. We need to emulate this design thinking here in Yarra, and start prioritising active transport over cars. Car parks and additional lanes are an inefficient use of space, and should be repurposed in favour of kerbside protected bike lanes, larger footpaths and open public space. Johnston Street is a highly frequented bike route with access to the popular Yarra Boulevard in Kew, however, it is currently unsafe with a high risk of “dooring” by cars, cracks in the bitumen and no dedicated bike lanes. It is currently used as a major car thoroughfare with 4 lanes of traffic, creating unnecessary noise and air pollution through the middle of Fitzroy, Collingwood and Abbotsford. Streets Alive Yarra is a much needed step to improve this street and help build a more liveable Yarra.
Harrison Watt
Published 3rd May 2023