The Keeping Melbourne Moving plan will standardise more than 160 clearways within 10 kilometres of the Melbourne CBD, to operate from 6.30am to 10am and from 3pm or 4pm to 7pm (depending on the location), helping traffic flows during peak traffic times. Clearways will also be more strictly enforced.
On June 16 2008, VicRoads welcomed submissions from the public regarding proposed changes to clearway times under the Keeping Melbourne Moving plan. Please view the Consultation Guidelines - alteration of clearway times [PDF,108KB].
Submissions were accepted until 5pm on Monday 14 July. 783 individual submissions were received – of this number, approximately 550 were form letters or petition signatures, with a range of other more detailed submissions provided by trader groups, local councils, transport groups and the general public. All items were treated as individual submissions.
Most submissions were critical of the decision to change clearway times, but it is important to note that the ‘silent majority’, who may be pleased with, or indifferent to, a particular issue, may not be motivated to respond to a call for submissions.
Clearway changes will benefit over 300,000 tram and bus passengers and over 250,000 private vehicle road users in Melbourne every day – this is not reflected in the submissions received.
All submissions were reviewed and summarised by an external consultancy Landell Group, and captured in a Clearways Implementation Reference Group Report [PDF, 471KB, 48pp].
The Clearways Implementation Reference Group (CIRG) was established in July 2008, to provide input to VicRoads on issues to be considered in the roll-out of clearway changes. This group comprises of representatives from small business, transport and local government peak bodies; as well as the Department of Transport and VicRoads.
The Group provided a number of recommendations to VicRoads [PDF, 29KB]. VicRoads has accepted the recommendations from the CIRG and is in the process of working through their implementation. For example, a regular Keeping Melbourne Moving newsletter is now issued to key stakeholders.
The Brumby Government announced the new planned afternoon clearway times on Wednesday 25 March 2009. These new times will improve traffic flow on key arterial roads while allowing for more parking opportunities near local businesses. Please view the media release New standardised afternoon peak clearway times for more information.
Under these PM clearway arrangements:
- All PM clearways that currently start at 4pm or later, will start at 4pm. At intersections with traffic lights PM clearways will commence from 3pm and extend for approximately 100 metres on either side of the intersection;
- Existing clearways that start earlier than 4pm will all change to start at 3pm along the full length of the road; and
- All PM clearways will end at 7pm.
The AM extended clearway hours will continue to run from 6.30am to 10am.
To view the typical layout of these arrangements, please have a look at this extended PM clearways map [PDF, 408KB].
As the clearway signs are replaced around the inner Melbourne area, the following list of sites will be regularly updated to reflect implementation:
Letters will be sent to affected residents, businesses and other organisations advising them of upcoming clearway changes. However, VicRoads requests that everyone carefully reads clearways signs to check the times and ensure they are complying so they can be part of the plan to keep Melbourne moving.