Hobart’s Argyle and Campbell Street bike lanes are being used by about 250 cyclists a day, but a council review shows key safety and enforcement problems remain unresolved.
The $1.7 million project was promoted as a major safety upgrade, yet illegal parking continues to block clearways. While Hobart City Council has issued fines, it still does not have a towing contractor in place to remove offending vehicles.
Concerns also persist about narrow sections of the lanes adjacent to parked cars, raising the risk of collisions. Tasmania Police has warned that poor enforcement is undermining both safety and traffic management.
“As outlined in our earlier correspondence, the absence of an effective enforcement mechanism compromises both traffic flow and emergency response capability,” Inspector John Toohey wrote last month.
Traffic flow issues have also been highlighted in the city’s broader bike-lane rollout, particularly around Collins Street and the Centrepoint car park exit. A traffic consultant who warned Hobart City Council that the Collins Street bike lanes would cause congestion says his predictions have now played out amid peak demand during the Christmas shopping period.
Cars queuing to exit the Centrepoint car park have “ground to a halt,” with vehicles reportedly experiencing “huge delays” and queues extending well beyond the usual exit ramps.
This outcome was clearly predicted. The independent Midson traffic report, prepared for the Confederation of Greater Hobart Business last year, warned council that removing traffic lanes and parking would significantly increase congestion and could add up to 25 minutes to entry and exit times.
View Midson Report: edwinjohnstone.com.au/midson
December is always busy, but this level of congestion is not typical. The difference this year is the permanent loss of road capacity in the heart of the city via the removal of lanes in Victoria Street and along key intersections in Collins Street is cause extra congestion.
Edwin Johnstone
Chair, CGHB
