IT IS unlikely Transport WA plans to reverse traffic flows in the CBD’s West End will go ahead.
Results of a Perth City Council survey found a small majority of respondents were against the proposal to complete the Perth Access Plan.
Many of those in favour of reversing the directions of streets such as Hay and Murray Streets only gave conditional approval.
The PCC approved plans recommending street direction changes to the eastern end of the city early in 1999.
However, Lord Mayor Peter Nattrass said, in keeping with council’s present feeling on the road redirections, it was not likely to support this change.
“One of the major aspects I was concerned about was the necessary alteration of the CATS bus route,” Dr Nattrass said.
“The buses would either have to go down King Street – which is not something we support – or Milligan Street which we feel would take the buses too far away from passengers’ interests.”
Transport WA’s Emmerson Richardson said the West End street direction changes were an integral part of the Perth Access Plan.
“It will make it extremely difficult to widen the footpaths in William Street,” Mr Richardson said.
Without the changes, traffic through William Street between Murray and Hay Streets will probably remain at about 27,500 vehicles per day.
With the changes, that would drop by more than half to 12,900 vehicles per day.
Dr Nattrass said that was the only significant argument for the road direction reversal.
Mr Richardson said knocking back the changes would not improve access to Perth’s freeway system as much as it could.
He said the new Wellington Street onramps would improve matters but the full effect would not be achieved.