THE City of Mandurah has deferred a decision on whether to reverse traffic flow on Mandurah Terrace until June to assess a traffic impact report.
THE City of Mandurah has deferred a decision on whether to reverse traffic flow on Mandurah Terrace until June to assess a traffic impact report.
The report, compiled by independent consultant Andrew Wotherspoon, was commissioned by local traders and the Peel Small Business Centre, and has been endorsed by the Peel Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
It recommends the council change the traffic flow between Pinjarra Road and Tuckey Street to northbound only, until infrastructure and supporting changes outlined in the Mandurah Foreshore Focus 2020 Vision and Mandurah Central Revitalisation Strategy are in place.
The 2020 vision and revitalisation strategy aim to improve pedestrian access and reduce traffic congestion in the Old Mandurah Traffic Bridge quarter by revitalising the city centre through stormwater upgrades, verge works, pavement upgrades, road works, additional off-street parking and improved pathways.
Recent council traffic counts show that vehicle movement on the Old Mandurah Traffic Bridge travelling to the city centre has fallen by more than 10 per cent since a May 2008 decision to make the southern end of Mandurah Terrace one-way.
According to the council, the number of northbound vehicles using Mandurah Terrace north of Tuckey Street decreased by almost 60 per cent in the period since traffic flow was changed.
Business owners along the once-bustling two-way street told WA Business News the council was ill-prepared for the growth of the city, which lacked the critical infrastructure outlined in the 2020 vision and revitalisation strategy to accommodate the influx of new residents and tourists.
Many said they understood the need to push traffic towards Sutton Street to alleviate congestion, but that the 2008 decision was hastily made, with the reduction in traffic costing a small pocket of the tourism precinct an estimated $10 million in sales annually.
Star Surf general manager Matt Wilson, who has owned the surf store on Mandurah Terrace for 11 years, said the impact of the change had forced some businesses along the bridge quarter to close and others to consider not renewing leases.
Mr Wotherspoon’s 32-page traffic impact report found that, of the 28 retail premises in the bridge quarter of Mandurah Terrace, four were now vacant and a further six had to move or sell due to reduced turnover since the traffic-flow reversal.
The report compared the turnover of Mandurah retailers with ‘like type’ retailers in WA and found that while similar stores throughout the state experienced growth after the economic crisis, turnover of stores in the bridge quarter have continued to decline.
The drop in turnover for all affected retailers is estimated to be about $4.3 million in 2009, the report found.
“These results demonstrate that Mandurah Terrace retailers are experiencing different circumstances to the rest of Western Australia,” the report said.
“Clearly WA retailers are experiencing growth after the initial impact of the financial crisis, Mandurah retailers are experiencing a significant and continued decline.”
Mayor Paddi Creevey told last week’s council meeting that the Mandurah economy was struggling and not recovering as fast as other areas following the economic downturn. Many businesses across the city had suffered a downturn not related to the Mandurah Terrace traffic reversal, she said.
Ms Creevey reiterated that the city had shown its commitment to attracting people to the city centre by increasing car parking, improving lighting, extending the Mandjar Markets to Thursday nights, putting another bus stop in for the Mandurah Foreshore Express, and holding discussions with the Public Transport Authority to run a Transperth bus along Mandurah Terrace right through to Pinjarra Road.
