Reducing the speed limit

We’ve slowed traffic from 40km/h to 20km/h on all one way sections of the following streets:

• Flinders Lane
• Little Collins
• Little Bourke
• Little Lonsdale

Introducing shared zones and traffic calming

We’ve also created shared zones and installed speed limit stencils, speed bumps and planter boxes to help calm traffic and make it easier for pedestrians to move around safely. People walking along our little streets now have right of way.

Creating more space

We will continue to create more room for pedestrians and outdoor dining by transforming some on-street car parks. We’ll also install seating, trees in planter boxes, bike hoops and bollards, and paint the road with vibrant colours to help bring these spaces to life.

Improved safety for bike riders

Bike head-starts, which are marked-out areas on roads allowing riders to safely move off from intersections and traffic lights, have also been installed to improve safety for bike riders at intersections.

24-hour access for deliveries and essential car trips

Access will be maintained 24-hours a day at low speeds for deliveries and for essential car trips, especially for people with a disability, and for trade, service and emergency vehicles.

On weekdays, Little Collins Street will remain closed to vehicles from midday to 2pm, to provide more space for people.

The Little Street transformations are designed to create vibrant, fun and inviting spaces for our residents and to encourage people to come back to the city and to our businesses. The upgrades will use trial treatments which are low cost, quick and easy to install. These changes will be installed for an initial 12-month period, with a view to making them permanent if considered successful.

We have chosen locations that are congested with high foot traffic, have a high number of shops, cafes and restaurants, and paid on-street car parking spaces that can be converted to create more room for people and local businesses.

New 20 km/h speed limits, speed bumps, give way stencils and planter boxes were introduced in all one-way sections of Little Lonsdale Street, Little Bourke Street, Little Collins Street and Flinders Lane in September 2020. New graphic elements, street furniture and additional tree planter boxes will be installed throughout 2021.

The new 20 km/h speed limits and shared zones are part of an 18-month trial supported by the Victorian Government. Trialling the new speed limits will allow us to evaluate changes before making them permanent. Other changes to our little streets are designed to last around 8 to 12 months and are aligned with the long-term vision identified in the Transport Strategy 2030. They will be gradually replaced by a permanent footpath treatment.

This project is being delivered by the City of Melbourne and the Victorian Government through the $100 million Melbourne City Recovery Fund.

In delivering this project, we will continue to evaluate and monitor where improvements can be made in each Little Street. We’re keen to understand your experience of the new Little Streets and gather feedback on what is working well and what can be improved further.

Feedback collected will help us to continually identify where improvements are needed in implementing this project. Some examples of things we may be able to change as result of this feedback include:

• Relocation of furniture and planters that might be creating an issue.
• Additional planters or protection for pedestrian areas.
• Reinstatement of parking where access is required.
• Provision of infrastructure to help people with disability in navigating the space.

You can share feedback by completing the online survey.