Hobart's 50km/h speed call
DAMIEN BROWN
April 14, 2010 02:00am
HOBART looks set to become Australia's first capital city to enforce a blanket speed limit within its municipal boundaries.
The move to reduce all speed limits within Hobart to 50km/h, including on major arterial roads, is designed to make travel for pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists safer.
Almost 400 people were killed or seriously injured on Hobart's streets in the past four years.
It is also hoped that by making streets safer, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists, many residents will exchange their cars for foot, pedal or public transport.
The 50km/h limit would also apply to Davey and Macquarie streets, the main arterial roads cutting through Hobart.
The only exceptions will be roads classed as highways, including Brooker Ave, the Domain Highway, the Tasman Highway and the Southern Outlet.
The planned speed limit was debated at Monday night's Hobart City Council meeting and supported, and Lord Mayor Rob Valentine agreed to ask the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources to look at imposing it.
The move is part of a plan to rejuvenate Hobart's CBD while the city waits for more than $1 billion in major building works to either begin or finish.
It follows a similar call by Danish architect Jan Gehl to either slow the traffic in both Davey and Macquarie streets or to get rid of it completely.
The Sullivans Cove Master Plan by State Architect Peter Poulet has also proposed a blanket speed limit of 40km/h on the main arterial roads to improve pedestrian access and end the separation of the waterfront from the city.
It has also been proposed to slow traffic to 30km/h in the lower part of Davey St near the Hotel Grand Chancellor.
Alderman Valentine said it would give the city a uniform speed limit as many urban areas had 50km/h limits already.
"Apart from the confusion that can be caused when you enter 50km/h zones within residential areas, this will certainly make our roads so much safer for all of our users," Ald Valentine said.
"There is a massive difference between someone driving at 60km/h to 50km/h and if we are also urging people to take up cycling and share the roads with cars we need to make it comfortable for them as well."
DIER spokeswoman Suzie Jacobson said international research had shown that lower speeds in urban areas resulted in fewer serious casualties.
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