Bondi Road clearway is back

An imposed clearway will be installed along the southern side of Bondi Road on weekends and public holidays this summer, a return of the trial introduced last summer. The clearway will extend from Sandridge Street to Council Street and will be in effect from December 5 to February 28, 2010.

The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) introduced the clearway despite strong opposition from Waverley Council and the Bondi Chamber of Commerce.

Waverley Mayor Sally Betts said she was incensed over the State Government’s decision to impose the clearway after repeated protests from the council.

“We don’t want this clearway,” said Mayor Betts. “We already have limited parking in our highly visited municipality and to take away up to 150 spaces from the main road and side streets is obviously going to have a huge impact on residents, business owners and visitors to this shopping strip.”

But NSW Minister for Transport David Campbell is convinced the clearway is the solution to Bondi’s summer traffic congestion.

Last year a trial of the clearway was conducted between December and March. Mr Campbell said a report on the trial found it resulted in a number of benefits including improved bus travel times and reliability, and improved access to bus services which encouraged more people to use public transport.

“There’s no doubt that the clearway along Bondi Road made a real difference to local residents and visitors getting home from a great day out at Bondi Beach,” Mr Campbell said. “Locals residents and visitors deserve to have easy access to this great beach and not be stuck in traffic trying to get home at the end of the day.

“If Waverley Council is serious about encouraging people to use public transport it should support the clearway so that it can be put in place again for future summers.”

Mr Campbell said Waverley Council was increasing charges for parking in the area and for that reason, “it should support the clearway, to give locals and visitors more options over the busy summer period”.

Mayor Betts dismissed this argument, saying it was “completely irresponsible for the RTA to suggest that proposed parking restrictions in side streets will compensate residents and businesses for the loss of parking due to their imposed clearway.”

Max Siano, spokesman for the Bondi Chamber of Commerce, said the clearway was a “festering problem” for Bondi Road businesses.

“The RTA and the Minister for Transport won’t listen to the traders and residents of Bondi Road,” Mr Siano said. “They’re quite happy to sacrifice 148 businesses on Bondi Road just to save 10 minutes on a bus.”

– By Liam Kinkead