Photo: Yass’ Main street

There was a big turnout at the Concept Mainstreet Masterplan Public Meeting recently to view a presentation by consultants from sala4D.

Sala4D shared how Yass Valley Council took community feedback and allowed them to develop design plans for the main street of Yass.

The consultants said the masterplan redesigned the main street with a focus on people, both locals and visitors alike. However, the reality is yet to be determined.

There appears to be a renewed focus on pedestrians and walkability over cars which brought up several interesting points from the speed zone, parking, and other methods of slowing cars down and making the area more accessible to people.

The masterplan will be the guide for investment by Council over the next 10 years, to cater to the existing and future needs of the community. It is a synthesis of the existing main street conditions and planning documents, community consultation, the Council’s planning direction for the good of Yass Valley, and best practice design. However, funding or more to the point where it is coming from to achieve these new aspects is yet to be finalised.

There was a focus on the visitor experience of Yass with the suggestion of creating a more directed walk loop and broader pathways, as well as increased shaded areas to draw tourists to businesses and community locations, while increasing accessibility, particularly in the “historic centre”.

The consultants added that increased walkways get people out of cars and hopefully into the paths of local businesses.

If any parking is to be lost, one must ask where do people first park a car to then walk, especially with an aged population such as Yass’.

Traffic may see a considerable shift in the future after the consultants suggested a lower 40km/hr speed limit on the main street.

This is a far cry from the days when the Hume Highway traffic went through the township. There was also discussion of a 30km/hr speed limit, which is currently being trialled by Transport NSW in some areas across the state.

The consultants said slowing cars should be focused on a street design where driving above the posted speed limit is uncomfortable or obvious to the driver rather than signage. It’s already clear that some motorists are unable to drive to conditions nor do they take notice of signage.

Some possible changes to achieve the decreased speed of cars, therefore making it safer for pedestrians in the main street are more “narrow lanes”, which is intended to make the driver feel as though they have less control and are going faster than they actually are.

However, narrowing the lanes is not necessarily decreasing their width but can mean creating “sticky edges” like adding more trees along the road, and extra objects in the street which re- quire extra attention from drivers.

Currently, Yass’ main street, like most places, is dominated by traffic needs, but sala4D consultants say this needs to be flipped so there’s a focus on pedestrian safety first. Whether this can be realistically achieved is up for debate.

The consultants assured the audience that in the case of an emergency and the highway is closed, Yass’ main street will always be wide enough to fit a B-double truck and emergency vehicles, with no difficulty passing through.

Plans also outlined the possibility of seating every 100 metres and to feature more safety lighting in the area.

Consultants pitched the idea of changing parking along the street to include more parallel parks, rather than angled.

Decreasing the number of parking spots appears to contradict earlier statements made.

However, the inclusion of extra centre line parking down the middle of potentially five or six side streets received a positive response from attendees.

Residents had some concerns about whether bicycle lanes only separated from vehicle traffic by a bold white line would be enough and there were suggestions it should be segregated.

Cr Kim Turner was concerned about the addition of new trees’ effect on nearby powerlines and the ability to keep up with pruning and maintenance. He suggested moving the powerlines underground to a ring of approval from the audience.

After some debate about roundabouts and intersections, the consultants announced they would investigate further intersection types that cater to both pedestrians and cars. For example, the current roundabout at the intersection of Comur and Rossi Street has a low curbing which reportedly invites speeding.

There was a lot of discussion about the most effective trees to line the street and surrounds due to a range of issues like blocking views of historic buildings or attracting too many birds.

The consultants hope to frame businesses rather than obscure them with increased vegetation, but more research on species selection is still required.

They also aim to add more street furniture from seats, bins, pots to bicycle stands and bollards. However, there was a lively discussion about the pros and cons of brightly coloured furniture versus more traditional wooden tones.

The Yass Community Consultation Summary Report is available on the Council’s website and the Sala4D consultants will be in town in a pop-up stall on Friday, July 15 between 9:30am and 12pm at the Rotary Street Stall (corner of Comur and Meehan Street). Drop by to let them know your thoughts on the masterplan.