The “Leura lottery”, where drivers gamble on getting out of the Megalong Street carpark without being hit by oncoming traffic, is set to become a thing of the past.
Council traffic staff have recognised that the situation where tourist buses parked on Megalong Street block motorists’ view is unsafe and believe the coach stop has to be moved.
At a briefing for the Leura Village Association (LVA) last week, Luke Nicholls, director of council’s city and community outcomes, said a safety audit had concluded the tourist stop near the corner of Grose Street “isn’t appropriate” and council had to urgently consider a “short-term” solution.
The council team presented three possible options to resolve the issue. All involve removing the current tourist bus stop and moving it around the corner into Grose Street, moving the regular bus stop closer to the Grose St corner and restoring some car parking in the newly freed-up space.
Council’s options were:
- One – moving the tourist bus zone into the lower end of Grose Street just beyond the Uniting Church (leaving spaces for wedding and funeral parking). The zone would have room for at least two large coaches or up to five mini-coaches but it would also remove existing unlimited parking for commuters and customers of the businesses in Grose Street.
- Two – moving the tourist zone into Grose Street but up the other end near Railway Parade, which may encourage people to walk through the retail sector of the mall.
- Three – a combination of options one and two.
Council has not decided whether the new bus stop would be drop-off only, drop-off and pick-up only or whether it would be a layover zone, where the buses could park while waiting for their passengers. There is already a layover zone on the eastern side of Grose Street.
After some debate in the meeting, a fourth option was suggested from the floor: Moving the tourist stop to Railway Parade, where there is an existing bus stop, but making it a drop-off point only, then sending the empty buses down the Mall and on a further block to Craigend Street where they could park beside Bloome Park.
It was suggested this would minimise disruption to Grose Street businesses, which include a solicitor’s office, financial adviser, beauty salon and cafe (some with off-street parking, others without). It would also encourage tourists to actually walk the length of the Mall, maximising passing trade opportunities.
Some of the LVA’s members raised the issue of how much value the tourist buses provide to the village community. Many buses are on whistle-stop stopovers, with passengers tending to only visit the public toilets and Woolworths, rather than any other local stores.
But others at the meeting were adamant the buses bring important custom to local businesses.
Mr Nicholls said the immediate issue was the safety of the carpark access.
“We will also look to start a longer term process ... We are starting a survey and will be meeting with coach companies [to] understand the potential pressures,” he said.
Council needed much more information about how many buses visited, at what time of day and for how long. Mr Nicholls promised there would be wide community consultation about any long-term solution.
The LVA will canvas its full membership before conveying its favoured option to council.
