Works to improve safety for pedestrians using Byron Bay’s South Lawson Street carpark will get underway on Monday (26 July), starting with construction of a new traffic island that will permanently block vehicle entry to the laneway next to the Byron Bay Hot Bread Kitchen from Jonson Street.
From Monday, vehicle access into the South Lawson St carpark will be from Lawson Street only.
Motorists can, however, still exit the carpark via the laneway onto Jonson Street or via Lawson Street.
“These works are part of Council’s rail corridor upgrade and the objective is to stop this carpark’s current use as a rat run to get to Lawson Street and to create slower traffic movements and a safer experience for pedestrians by making the space into a shared zone for cars and people,” Council’s Director Infrastructure Services, Phil Holloway said.
“Once the works are complete, this carpark will connect directly with a new boardwalk we are building across the rail corridor so that people can move safely between the town centre and the western side of town.
“Changing traffic movements in and out of this car park and blocking the laneway to traffic turning in from Jonson Street will put an end to the car park being used as a shortcut and being a danger to those on foot,” Mr Holloway said.
Water barriers will be in place on Jonson Street and traffic control signage to advise motorists of works in the laneway which will take three weeks to complete.
“While the traffic island is being built, there may be short periods that the laneway off Jonson St needs to be shut completely but we will update the surrounding signage to alert motorists to this.
“Otherwise, what we need people to remember is that entry to the South Lawson Street car park is from Lawson Street from now on,” Mr Holloway said.
