Sydneysiders' feet have voted in support of the decision to turn much of George Street in the city into a pedestrian mall when the light rail from Randwick and Kingsford to Circular Quay is built.
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A survey of pedestrian movements at 100 locations across central Sydney has shown that three of the top five walking routes are along George Street on weekdays and weekends.
Second to George Street on weekdays is Railway Square while on weekends Pitt Street Mall is No. 2 for foot traffic.
George Street will become a pedestrian and light rail "boulevard" between Hunter and Bathurst streets with alfresco cafes and new artworks, lighting, trees and street furniture.
The City of Sydney is spending $50 million over 10 years on improving the look and safety of the most popular walking routes with granite paving and LED lighting.
Continuing pedestrian counts will help planners identify footpath congestion points and guide future public transport facility planning, lord mayor Clover Moore said.
The top five midweek locations for the pedestrian counts are:
- George Street, between King and Hunter streets – 72,264 walking trips
- Railway Square, between Quay and Harris streets – 71,208
- Park Street, between George and Pitt streets – 63,456
- George Street, between Martin Place and Hunter Street – 62,670 and
- George Street, between Bond and Margaret streets – 60,720.
