Parking space put under pressure

JOHN Street in Northbridge could lose eight on-street parking bays as the Charles Street Bus Bridge plan progresses.

The Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (MRA) initiated the $32 million plan late last year, which will include a bus bridge over Graham Farmer Freeway and connect Charles Street to the existing James Street bus bridge.

The plan, delivered by the State Government with the Public Transport Authority and Main Roads WA, is expected to improve travel times on James and Fitzgerald streets with fewer buses.

As part of the plan, a new bus layover area is proposed off James Street, which could scrap City of Perth parking bays that generate an annual revenue of $17,760.

“The Charles Street bus bridge scheme will require the removal of possibly all of the eight on-street parking bays on the southern side of John Street to enable bus movements into a buys layover area,” a City of Perth council report said.

“There are also 15 well-utilised bays on the southern side of John Street which are not affected by the current Charles Street bus scheme design.”

The City has also reduced the length of a proposed 1km shared path along Roe Street from Thomas and Loftus street to Fitzgerald Street because of the bus bridge.

The revised share path, which was approved by councillors at a meeting last month, will now run from Thomas and Loftus Streets east to Sutherland Street.

As part of the bus bridge, the James Street off-ramp from Mitchell Freeway will be replaced with a new off-ramp onto Roe Street and a 500m bus lane will be added on Charles Street.