Council takes a feather duster to Woolloomooloo

To improve safety in public areas of Woolloomooloo and make the area more attractive and accessible, a comprehensive program of works was endorsed by Council this week.

The works are detailed in a Woolloomooloo accessibility and pedestrian network study.

The work is part of the Woolloomooloo Improvement Plan, adopted by Council in 2007 after extensive consultation. Other City projects for Woolloomooloo include community support services, traffic management and the new Bourke Street cycleway. Improvements for the Bourke Street and Walla Mulla Reserves are also scheduled for later this year.

Twenty-three projects identified as top priority in the Council report are underway or will be complete within two years, including:
• upgrading pavements and kerbs in Cathedral Street and Reid Avenue
• converting Brougham Lane into a pedestrian priority shared zone
• upgrading all lighting along main pedestrian routes
• installing a new accessible automatic toilet near Harry’s Cafe de Wheels
• providing a number of assigned accessible car bays
• pruning trees in Best, Forbes and Stephen Streets; and
• repaving footpaths in Wilson Street, Plunkett Street, Dowling Street pedestrian area, McElhone Street pedestrian area and Sydney Place over the next five years.

Longer term actions include:
• repairing the stairs from Woolloomooloo to Victoria Street
• installing a lift for access for people with reduced mobility and cyclists; and
• working out how to reconnect Woolloomooloo to the City, now divided by major roads.