More parking meters could be on their way to Wollongong, with the council flagging interest in investigating paid parking in the streets around the University of Wollongong.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In the long-awaited draft of the Keiraville - Gwynneville Access and Movement Study, which aimed to address some of the traffic and congestion issues in the suburbs closest to UOW, the council says Northfields Avenue and Robsons Road could have paid parking installed.
The document, which will go on public exhibition after next week's council meeting, identified car parking as the major issue for the community in those suburbs.
For instance, one map shows that for the streets directly next to UOW, as well as many others in Keiraville and near transport hubs, there is a 96-100 per cent parking occupancy rate by 10am.
Among eight actions which could be taken to fix the very high level of parking occupancy, the study suggests paid parking could be placed along the two streets next the the university.
The council may also investigate the provision of marked parking bays for almost all of Keiraville, and review the restrictions near attractions like the conservatorium and botanic garden.
Asked if it supported paid parking, the university - which helped to fund the study - said it could not provide a black and white answer. Instead, it would "consider the report in detail" and give feedback to the council.
"As a co-funder of the study, UOW supports efforts to examine traffic and transport activity and needs within Keiraville, Gwynneville and surrounding suburbs," spokesman Andrew Herring said. "UOW also constantly monitors parking and traffic trends on campus and remains committed to promote the use of sustainable transport modes..."
Other parking issues identified during the study include a lack of accessible parking, vehicles parked across driveways, the high amount of unrestricted parking in residential areas and poor sightlines due to the large amount of parked cars.
Residents were also concerned about the street parking demand generated by higher-density developments and student accommodation, and said some streets had been reduced to one lane in each direction due to parking on both sides of the road.
Actions to fix these issues include a "review" of ranger patrols, better signage for parking at attractions like Beaton Park and the Botanic Garden, and working with schools to manage parking and safer pick-up/drop off.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
