M Green, Myocum
Regarding Council’s concept ideas for the Stuart Street ‘Green Spine Project’, I am strongly opposed to any change in the traffic arrangement in Stuart Street that might reduce access to the town or that reduces parking ability or that pushes parking out further from the town centre.
Mullumbimby is a country town that provides essential services for a regional area; foodstores, doctors, chemists, dentists, post office, hardware, newsagent – and it is vital that residents have easy access to these necessary community services.
We are not the Gold Coast and we don’t need a ‘pedestrian mall experience’. Street beautification that reduces parking availability, pushing traffic out onto some of the shocking roads in Mullum, mandating that we have to walk a long way to access services is not serving the needs of the people who use this town for their everyday needs. People who are even slightly disabled – young or old – will then become reliant on others for help and/or transport.
We have virtually no public transport, and all the residents of the surrounding rural areas who are reliant on cars, and can’t walk or cycle to these services, will be disadvantaged. It is busy now… imagine more gridlock! Fix up the shocking roads, put in a decent footpath and bike-path, plant some trees, but please do not reduce our access!
Mullum also needs more disabled parking spots, as some of us can’t walk very far… am wondering how many parking spots are taken up most of the day by people who work in town?
I know they need somewhere to park so could council provide a carpark for them, thus potentially freeing up more town parking spaces…
Dare i also suggest… one & two hour parking limits around shop areas, ie. its virtually impossible for someone with a disability to shop at Santos or Edens landing & I’m sure its the same for other retailers affected by the lack of parking space… there is no need or space for a mall set up, we already have beautiful green spaces, but planting shading trees on the edges of footpaths with benches would give shade to pedestrians, a place to sit, rest & chat…