Media Response Atherton Road Parking
Questions and Responses
An Oakleigh resident has complained to us about reduced carpark spaces on Atherton Rd, between Warrigal Rd and Clyde St, from 93 to 75. I assume this to be part of the $4.8m (note: project is cost is $5.8M) stage two upgrade of the street announced last year.
She raised concerns about greater difficulty in finding a park on the street, especially in relation to the number of small businesses along the strip.
She also questioned its impact on more elderly residents who visit the area, who may have a greater need for parking close to these businesses.
She said she did not want to use the multi-level carpark as it was 6-8 minutes’ walk away.
What is the situation with parking on Atherton Rd, between Warrigal Rd and Clyde St?
As part of our $5.8M reconstruction works to enhance the Oakleigh Activity Centre some parking spaces have been reduced along the section of Atherton Road, between Warrigal Road and Clyde Street from 93 to 75, however there is still a good mix of parking available in the precinct, in particular at the Atkinson Street multilevel car park which houses 274 car spaces.
The works on Atherton Road were in response to community feedback that improvements were needed to this busy area, with wider footpaths to provide greater accessibility for pedestrians.
The indented and modified car spaces create larger areas for the protection of the street trees and allow them more space to grow.
Are there any further changes to the parking slated in the future?
There are currently no plans for further changes however, where there are particular issues or concerns around parking capacity our traffic engineers will assess situations as they arise.
Why was the decision made to reduce parking along the strip and where does council envisage those extra 18 spots to be used?
From our community feedback it was made clear that revitalising Atherton Rd and the Oakleigh Activity Centre in general was a high priority for the community. It was necessary to do works on this section of Atherton Road to increase the footpath area to accommodate traders and pedestrians, modify parking bays to create larger areas for the protection of remaining street trees and allow them more space to grow, as well as add garden beds for more vegetation plantings in the future. The vegetation and tree-lined character of Oakleigh, in particular Atherton Rd, is a feature of the area that we know is valued by the community. We’ve also added a pedestrian crossing east of Palmerston Grove and new street lighting. The pedestrian crossing at Palmerston Grove will assist pedestrians to access the Atkinson Street carpark.
We understand that availability of parking is important and that’s why we built the 274-space Atkinson Street multilevel car park, which is 50m away from Atherton Road. This is where the majority of the parking has been redistributed.
Anything else?
Council can issue disability parking permits for people who require accessible parking: Accessible Parking Permits (Disability Parking Scheme)
Issued: 31 January 2019
To: Monash Leader
Quoting: Mayor, Councillor Shane McCluskey