Major construction work in Perth’s CBD is limiting pedestrian traffic through the Murray Street Mall and William Street, according to findings from the latest pedestrian survey conducted by the Property Council of Australia (WA) and Lease Equity.
The survey counted pedestrian movements on May 9, between 12.30 pm and 2pm, at selected observation points in the city’s prime retail areas.
It found the average number of observations in the Murray Street Mall was 5,346, or nine per cent down on the last recording of the area on the same day and time in 2003.
The greatest decline in pedestrian counts was recorded along William Street, with an average of 2,081 observations representing a 33.9 per cent drop from 2003.
The Hay Street Mall has reclaimed its position as the busiest sector in the city by averaging 5,376, a 6.4 per cent jump in pedestrian movements from the last survey.
Some 131,850 pedestrian movements were monitored this year, which is one per cent up on the number of movements recorded in the same locations as the last survey.
Property Council of Australia (WA) executive director Joe Lenzo said pedestrian traffic had been fairly static over the past ten years, but would likely improve once the William Street train station was operational and new retail developments such as Century City were open for business.
The survey also revealed that the entrance to Target in the Hay Street Mall was the busiest location in the area, with 6,984 observations. The least busy was King Street, with only 610 observations recorded on the day.
The largest increase in pedestrian counts between 2003 and 2006 was recorded in Shafto Lane, rising 22 per cent to 1,070 observations.
