Don’t turn Grattan St into a road of chaos

If the City of Melbourne reinstates its 2021 proposal to turn Grattan St from Bouverie St to Rathdowne St into a one lane each way thoroughfare (revoked in 2022 ostensibly for “community feedback”), the entire Carlton area will be affected.

Grattan St is one of inner-city Melbourne’s most historic and glorious streets, and a major thoroughfare for traffic to avoid the Melbourne CBD. 

To reduce it to one lane in each direction will vastly increase congestion, compromise safety for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists, and prevent access for emergency vehicles to the hospital precinct.

All this for a handful of cyclists who may choose to use Grattan St rather than any of the other established bike lanes in surrounding streets which carry far fewer cars.

It would most likely result in even more congestion that has already been created in Rathdowne St through the implementation of a similar program. •