Wellington Street, Cremorne, is one of only two streets in Cremorne that is 100% residential (the other is Melrose Street). Its north end intersects Swan Street and its south end joins with Kelso Street via Parkins Lane.

Problems

Wellington Street experiences a high volume of rat-running during the evening peak hour, because cars bank up for ~ 200 m on Cremorne Street, waiting to turn left onto Swan Street. This delay encourages drivers to turn into Parkins Lane (from either Kelso or Cremorne), up into Wellington and then left onto Swan. Congestion and rat-running will only get worse as more multi-storey commercial developments are built along Cremorne Street.

In addition, the Streamlining Hoddle Street project will result in the Swan/Wellington intersection being “left-in” and “left-out” only, meaning that it will be more difficult for residents to enter or leave Wellington Street.

Opportunity

The Streamlining Hoddle Street project offers a unique opportunity to increase amenity for Wellington Street. Residents are looking for:

  • good access to and egress from Wellington Street, and
  • greatly reduced rat running.

The solution is to convert the Wellington Street precinct (bound by Punt, Swan, Cremorne and Kelso) into a residential shared zone:

Image credit: Apple Maps and Streets Alive Yarra

This “Wellington Street shared zone” would be an oasis protected from through traffic. The trick is to eliminate rat-running by blocking the left turn from Wellington into Swan. This will cut traffic volumes in half because it eliminates the chance to bypass the congestion on Cremorne Street. The only vehicles entering the zone will then be residents, guests and deliveries.

The zone would be similar to European “home zones” or dutch “Woonerf” where traffic is calmed and kids can use the street:

The zone would also be similar to Barcelona “superblocks”:

Access and egress

Access is via:

  • Left turn from Swan into Wellington
  • Cremorne into Jessie
  • Cremorne into Parkins Lane
  • Kelso into Parkins Lane
  • Cremorne into Blanche (if Blanche is made bi-directional)

Egress is via:

  • Left turn from Rout onto Punt
  • Jessie into Cremorne
  • Blanche into Cremorne
  • Parkins Lane into Cremorne
  • Parkins Lane into Kelso

Complements the 2013 LATM 20 design

Council conducted a Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) 20 report for Balmain-Cremorne, which recommended significant traffic calming.

Image credit: Traffic Group

Complements the 2013 Urban Design Framework

Council conducted an Urban Design Framework review in 2007 (Cremorne and Church Street UDF), which recommended the establishment of shared zones:

Image credit: City of Yarra

Summary

Fellow residents, VicRoads and Yarra Council – let’s collaborate to:

  • increase amenity,
  • lift property values, and
  • leverage the Streamlining Hoddle Street project;

by conducting a “residential precinct shared zone” trial in Wellington Street that could be replicated across inner Melbourne; showing how residents can coexist alongside infrastructure developments that seek to improve transport for all Melburnians.

Take action

Let’s build a beautiful, liveable and accessible city