FAQs
Why are we doing this?
All cities change over time and the City of Hobart is working hard to create vibrant, safe linkages between the key areas across our city.
In recent years, the City has significantly upgraded the waterfront area, helped to transform Liverpool Street into a business and street dining hub, and installed a new pedestrian and cycle bridge connecting the city to the University Rose Garden and the Queens Domain.
The area around Collins Street has recently become the subject of significant, medium-density development proposals.
The recently adopted Central Hobart Plan has identified the need to support this growth by improving linkages to the CBD and natural areas like the Hobart Rivulet, as well as improving the general amenity of the area with street-side dining and additional greening.
Giving people greater options in how they move along Collins Street, including by bike and on foot, is also important, and our designs are aimed at ensuring people have safe and efficient routes with some streets being prioritised for specific modes of transport.
A lower speed environment, streetside dining, a new pedestrian crossing and street greening will create a more comfortable, inviting environment for people walking and spending time on Collins Street, which is good for business and good for our city.
What will it look like?
Project Overview
The project area is a 700-metre stretch of Collins Street which runs from the Molle Street intersection through to the Murray Street intersection at the edge of the CBD.
This area will be enhanced with a mix of streetside dining areas, separated bicycle lanes, additional accessible parking spaces, street plantings, greening, and a new zebra crossing.
The City of Hobart will request a lower speed limit along the project area to further enhance the safety of all road users and amenity for streetside dining and other activities.
We have broken down the project plans into four key areas along this route:
Between Molle and Barrack Street
Protected bicycle lanes will be installed in both traffic directions alongside the kerb and gutter for the length of the street.
Three on-street parks and 22 metres of loading zone will be retained on the northern side of the street (within the vicinity of the Tasmanian Wine Centre).
Five on-street parks will be retained on the southern side of the street (within the vicinity of Hyundai Hobart Motors).
Between Barrack Street and Harrington Street
rotected bicycle lanes will be installed in both traffic directions alongside the kerb and gutter for the length of the street.
Six on-street parks, one accessible parking space and 12 metres of loading zone will be retained on the northern side of the street (within the vicinity of 175 Collins Street).
Nine on-street parks, one accessible parking space and 12 metres of five-minute parking will be retained on the southern side of the street (within the vicinities of 200 Collins Street and 188 Collins Street).
Between Harrington Street and Victoria Street
Deck space for on-street dining will be installed on the northern side of the street for use by local hospitality businesses.
The exact design of the on-street dining is currently being developed in conjunction with traders.
A zebra crossing will be installed at the intersection of Collins Street and Victoria Street.
All current on-street parks will be retained on the southern side of the street.
Between Victoria Street and Murray Street
Following a council resolution in November 2024, the project in this area has been paused to allow for further street design possibilities to be workshopped with businesses and other stakeholders in this block.
A report with options along this stretch of the street will be provided to the city's elected members following this consultation. This is anticipated to occur in March 2025.
Where will I park?
Roughly 25 on-street parking spots, four accessible parking spots, and multiple loading zones will be retained directly on Collins Street.
There are also about 1400 public parking spaces within the immediate vicinity of Collins Street, so this project will result in a 2 per cent reduction to public parking in the area.
There are five side streets which come off Collins Street (Molle, Barrack, Harrington, Victoria and Murray) which have roughly 150 on-street car parks within one block of the project area.
There are also over 100 spaces, including eight accessible parking spaces, in the Village Cinemas car park on Collins Street.
The City of Hobart operated Centrepoint Car Park next to Collins Street also has 780 car parks and is rarely at full occupancy.
Will people use the bicycle lanes?
The Greater Hobart Household Travel Survey 2023, conducted by the Tasmanian Government, showed there is a rising number of cyclists in Hobart.
It found there were 4800 trips completed on bikes within the City of Hobart local government area each day (a 50 per cent increase since 2019).
Hobartians riding bikes is good for their health and good for motorists, as it results in less cars on the road and helps traffic flow better.
We know the number one barrier to more people taking up cycling or any form of active transport is safety, something which separated cycle lanes will help address.
What are the key documents supporting this?
How can I provide feedback?
Engagement surrounding the project will occur at five key-intervals, with findings reported back to the city's elected members (along with road use data) in publicly-accessible reports.
This engagement will occur pre-installation, one month post-installation, three months post-installation, one year post-installation and following the conclusion of the two-year trial.
The engagement will take place through face-to-face interviews on Collins Street, business visits, online surveys, one-on-one meetings with key stakeholders, drop-in sessions and more.
Keep an eye on our social channels or reach out to us if you would like to ensure you're aware of these engagement opportunities.
How can I keep up-to-date on the project?
We will make regular updates to this Your Say page and directly to our project mailing list at key milestones. Subscribe below!