1,000 signatures reached
To: Alice Springs Town Council
SAY NO to ROAD THROUGH TODD MALL
The Alice Springs Town Council has sent out Tenders for the Revitalisation of the CBD - this includes improvements to the Todd Mall.
It is greatly concerning that the tendered Revitalisation Design Concepts may include a shared car, pedestrian and bicycle space through the pedestrian area of the Todd Mall.
The tenders for Alice Springs CBD Revitalisation will be ending soon and then the Town Council will begin community consultation. The time to act is now.
It is important that us, the community of Alice Springs, are given fair access to community consultation to inform the Council of our valid concerns so that appropriate responses and solutions are identified and enacted.
Sign this petition today so that it can be presented at the next Town Council meeting at the end of February. With your support, I would like to make the Council understand that the possibility of a shared road through our iconic Todd Mall is NOT the right decision for our community.
Why is this important?
Your support is important. Please sign this petition today and share with your fellow residents of Alice Springs.
Here are just a few reasons why a shared road through the iconic Todd Mall would be detrimental to our only pedestrian safe space in the CBD:
1. We, the community, lose our only pedestrian safe space in the CBD. It has always been great to have a place to come to in town, where there are a range of cafes, restaurants, retail shops and businesses and to be able to walk freely without having to worry about traffic, especially if you have children.
2. Safety. Given the current anti-social/crime situation occurring in Alice Springs, a shared road will likely present a number of safety issues including, hooning and shop fronts having to seriously consider the possibility of ram raids.
3. High cost with little benefit. The money spent on installing a road would be astronomical. There are much better ways to spend this money in the Todd Mall. Also, putting a shared road through the Mall does not guarantee increase in foot traffic for businesses. We have seen the dismal results of the road put in the northern end of the Todd Mall, let's not make the same mistake twice.
4. Community Events. To be able to run a community event on a shared road, organisers will have to hire very costly traffic control to close the road. Such expense could be financially unsustainable to many event holders, such as markets and festivals. These extra costs may mean that fewer events will be able to continue in this central and easy-to-get-to location.
I am sure there are many other reasons you could list too.
The Todd Mall is a great pedestrian space and putting a shared car, pedestrian & bicycle space through it would bring very little benefit, if any, to community well-being as well as to the businesses that are there.
The Alice Springs Town Council needs to re-imagine the Todd Mall as an integrated community and business space, without a road through it.
Some ideas could include: a water play space, more shade, water misters, tables and chairs, engaging in consistent dialogue with landlords to work towards filling up empty shop spaces, installation of public artworks/sculptures, iconic landmarks, making a better thoroughfare connection between the Todd Mall and the Yeperenye Shopping Centre etc...
Together let's SAY NO TO A SHARED CAR, PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE ROAD THROUGH THE TODD MALL!
Many thanks,
Sophie Marriott
Concerned community member, shop owner and local family.