Petition: Make the Woolworths Double Bay parking fully operational, reinstate the 2 missing entrance lanes and stop putting people's safety at unnecessary risk.

Website: www.woolworthsdoublebayparking.com.au

The situation:
1. The car park has grown from 145 spaces to 459 spaces and at the same time 2 of the 5 entrance lanes have been shut down or removed. The development is due for completion in 2016 and is operating with 5 exit lanes and 3 entrance lanes:

- the Anderson Street entrance is closed
- the Kiaora Road entrance was reduced to a single lane.

2. As a result the peak traffic level in the streets providing the 3 entrance lanes is above the safety limits prescribed by the RMS (RTA). Council stated that this would not happen. For example:

- Patterson Street congestion is up by 660% and has been 179 cars per hour over the RMS safety limit (April 2015)
- Kiaora Road congestion is up by 507% and has been 192 cars per hour over the RMS safety limit (April 2015).

3. This means that pedestrian safety is more at risk than it should be and these roads are more congested than they should be. It also means that the intersections with connecting roads like Manning Road are more hazardous for children getting to school and the elderly using essential services like doctors and dentists in these affected streets. Traffic incidents are occurring.

4. How this affects YOU will depend on the timing of your visits and whether you're a regular shopper, local business owner, resident or casual visitor. However, the safety risks will only increase as the traffic increases following completion.

Call to action: We call on Woollahra Municipal Council and Woolworths as the joint developers, and Woollahra Municipal Council as the car park operator, to make the Woolworths Double Bay car park fully operational, to reinstate the 2 missing entrance lanes and to stop putting people at unnecessary risk.