@ajsadauskas@lemmy.ml The Melbourne City Council has just discovered that sticking up some signs that say “shared zone” isn’t enough to make a great shared pedestrian space.

"Flinders Lane, Little Collins, Little Bourke and Little Lonsdale streets became “shared zones” in September 2020, with pedestrians given right of way and speed limits lowered from 40 km/h to 20 km/h.

"For the most part, pedestrians and drivers were unaware of the priority rules within the shared zone. Pedestrians generally waited for cars to pass before crossing the street and drivers were rarely observed yielding to pedestrians.”

“The review says the council should install more “traffic-calming” designs – like raised street sections, planter boxes or dining parklets – and paint or pave the streets to differentiate them from regular roads, where vehicles have priority.”

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbourne-s-little-streets-were-meant-to-be-a-pedestrian-paradise-but-drivers-aren-t-sharing-20230328-p5cvv3.html

#walkability #walking #streets #cities #Urbanism #UrbanPlanning #walk #cycling #bikes #CompleteStreets