Council has released the Draft Warrnambool Car Parking Strategy for public comment.
The draft strategy has been prepared to guide management of public car parking within the municipality.
Feedback on the draft strategy will inform the final Warrnambool Car Parking Strategy.
The current City Centre Parking Strategy was developed in 2015 to provide the strategic framework for the future supply and improved management of on and off-street parking in Warrnambool’s city centre.
Nearly a decade later the City Centre Parking Strategy is due for review. The new strategy has an expanded focus area to include a number of additional precincts within the municipality.
These are:
• Warrnambool CBD
• Raglan Precinct
• Banyan Precinct
• Railway Precinct
• Hospital Precinct
• Industrial Precinct
• Breakwater Precinct
• Lake Pertobe Precinct
Over the past decade there have also been a number of changes to car parking in the city centre including the provision of around 200 additional free all-day car parks at the railway station, the introduction of Council’s pay by plate ticketless parking meters and phone app.
Additionally, the main street of Warrnambool and secondary parts of the city centre have undergone significant infrastructure renewal which has led to changes in traffic movement, parking, footpath widening in some areas and street furniture.
The hospital precinct has undergone significant change in recent years with the opening of the new cancer centre and hospital redevelopment. This has created parking pressures in this precinct which has led to a shortage of parking, neighbouring streets used to accommodate vehicles and illegal parking on nature strips.
The draft Car Parking Strategy recommendations are summarised as follows:
• consider installation of car parking detection sensors within the most popular areas of the CBD to increase compliance and turnover,
• review disabled parking provision (time limits, quantity and location),
• provide P-15minute spaces in front of the post office, banks and chemists,
• consider increasing all-day parking fees in the CBD and using the funds to contribute towards a park-and-ride free shuttle service,
• investigate potential for additional parking in the hospital precinct, Artillery Crescent and Raglan Parade (centre-of-road),
• increase time limit from 2P to 3P in the hospital precinct,
• line-mark on-street parking bays in areas of the industrial precinct where parking on nature strips is prevalent, and
• install additional signage in the Breakwater Precinct, review adequacy of long-bay and standard car parking during the peak summer months and undertake enforcement of cars parked in trailer spaces.
To read the Draft Warrnambool Car Parking Strategy and have your say go to www.yoursaywarrnambool.com.au