Katoomba Charrette Outcomes Report - Blue Mountains City Council

Katoomba Charrette Report & Town Centre Strategy
intersection.
Across the intersection a large triangular-shaped and landscaped new island is to be
constructed, in which an existing tree is again to be retained. This island forces west-bound
traffic on Waratah to divert its path south of the island, and then to manoeuvre back into
alignment to continue west on Waratah. Southbound traffic from the east would have to slow
down to turn left past the island.
Thus, while this design gives priority to north-south traffic, all directions of vehicular traffic
are slowed through is now safer intersection.
Action 8.6.6 - Construct the proposed Charrette Intersection Improvements.
8.7 Improvements to Lurline and Parke Streets
Vehicles speed along both Lurline and Parke Streets all too frequently. This is because both streets are
much wider than they need to be to carry their present or projected traffic volumes, and because
parking is restricted along much of their lengths. Parking is prohibited along much of the 600+ metre
length of Parke Street on its eastern side, much of it because high speed traffic and poor sight lines
over the crest of the hill make it unsafe for vehicles to pull into or out of parallel parking bays (or for
pedestrians to cross!). This limits viability of present and/or future uses nearby which would benefit
from such on-street parking. There is no footpath along most of the eastern side of Lurline Street.
Thus drivers have few obstructions or physical reasons to obey posted speed limits; instead, the
streets allow and might seem even to encourage a higher speed limit than that which is appropriate
for them.
8.7.1 Parke Street Improvements
As shown on the plan below, intermittent raised median strips are proposed from the planned
reconstruction of the roundabout at Main Street and Bathurst Road southward to the crest of
the hill. These medians will provide pedestrian refuges for people presently (and many more
anticipated to be crossing back and forth from the new TAFE) and to and past the Carrington
Hotel.
Parallel parking, protected by kerb outstands, is practical over much of the frontage of Parke
Street. Formalising this parking will encourage its use and contribute to a speed control effect
through effectively narrowing the Parke Street carriageway.
South of the crest of the hill, the medians stop, and tour coach parking begins along the
eastern kerb of Parke Street (see Section 8.8.4). Beyond the southward point where enough
length of street has been provided for coach parking, then on-street car parking should be reinstated
to the corner of Waratah, except where it would directly affect the truck deliveries for
the Coles Supermarket. The medians at the north end of Parke Street not only will slow the
traffic along that northern length, but they will also slow the approach of traffic over the crest
of the hill, so that parallel parking can be negotiated more safely by the coaches, and
passengers can disembark more safely and cross Parke Street to its western side.
Action 8.7.1 - Implement and construct the Parke Street improvements proposed above.
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