Feedback into a plan to make Cowes more pedestrian-friendly – with the Esplanade and Thompson Avenue one-way to vehicles – closes at the end of this week.
The draft Cowes streetscape concept master plan 2022 was released in August, with two drop-in sessions planned for this week at Olive Justice Place: Thursday (September 29) 3pm–5pm; and Saturday (October 1), 11am–1pm.
Feedback closes Sunday, with the plan set to go to council by the end of the year, with the project then rolled out in stages based on successful grant funding.
Under the plan, cars coming into Cowes on the main road will be directed at Church Street to park at the transit centre, most likely with traffic lights replacing the current roundabout at that intersection in the future.
Cars that continue to Chapel Street won’t be able to travel down Thompson Avenue to the Esplanade, because it will be one-way in a southerly direction.
With the Esplanade one-way in a westerly direction, drivers wanting to access the foreshore and Thompson Avenue would need to turn right at Chapel Street and then travel down Bass Avenue.
Thompson Avenue between the Esplanade and Chapel Street will lose 42 car parks – down to 24 from the current 66. This section will also change from the current angled parking to parallel parking, with reduced time limits on parking restrictions, although the plan does not detail what those restrictions will be.
Bass Avenue currently has six formal and 42 informal parks, and under the plan will have 40 dedicated parks, with angled parking along the east side, and a designated bus and taxi pickup and drop off zone.
Thompson Avenue South – between Chapel and Church streets – currently has 73 parks and under the plan this will drop to 61. Chapel Street – between Warley Avenue and Bass Avenue – will lose about five parks.
Drivers will be encouraged to park in the transit centre – which the shire said is underused – as well as the existing carparks behind Pino’s off Bass Avenue and behind Priceline off Warley Avenue.
The 2023/24 shire budget has allocated $2.25 million for the first stage of the project, expected to be shovel-ready by June next year, (although stages are yet to be specified).
There is also an online survey and an interactive map.