TAS Govt explores ways to reduce Hobart congestion

The Tasmanian Government has engaged with the four Greater Hobart Councils to plan for and deliver reduced congestion on Hobart streets at a summit held this week.

According to a statement from Tasmanian Minister for Infrastructure Rene Hidding, who hosted the third summit with the councils on Monday, the government will now progress overseeing a number of long-term measures to alleviate congestion in Hobart’s CBD.

“I am pleased to announce the Department of State Growth has recently completed the development of a greater Hobart traffic model, bringing together a number of independent models developed by the various road owners,” said Mr. Hidding in a statement.

This model, fed with the most up-to-date information on travel and urban growth patterns, will allow the analysis of future traffic demands, identify congestion hot spots years before they occur, and assist with the development of both infrastructure and non-infrastructure solutions to proactively manage those demands.

He said the government will go ahead with measures to ease congestion ahead of several major construction projects in the city, including the construction of a large hotel at the Elizabeth Street Bus Mall.

“The government will support measures that favour public transport including bus priority measures but it is clear that the Councils will also need to commit to congestion-busting measures that we outlined today,” he added.

Some of the specific measures agreed for consideration today by the Hobart City Council include:

– Transformation of some or all of the buses from the current Bus Mall to Franklin Square (this may require some temporary relocation of motor cycle parking).

– Investigation of a pedestrian overpass or underpass linking Franklin Square to the water front.

– Further investigation of the safe removal of the pedestrian crossing on the southern side of the intersection of Murray Street and Davey Street, including improvements to the northern crossing location, to improve peak hour bus movements. If the crossing cannot be safely removed, then alternative arrangements that provide improved bus priority will be pursued.

– Investigation and implementation, if feasible, of alterations to the management of the Macquarie Street / Molle Street intersection to improve safety and active transport linkages from South Hobart along the Hobart Rivulet track.

– 25-metre parking restrictions on the right side of Davey Street upstream of the Southern Outlet.

– Clearway along the left side of the Macquarie Street approach to Evans Street.

Following this final summit, Mr. Hidding said the Department of State Growth will now work closely with the councils to deliver on these plans.