City surveys stakeholders as Chapman Road pilot project nears end, with mayor flagging it won’t remain

The controversial changes to a stretch of Chapman Road are unlikely to remain after it became clear most of the community objected to them, according to the City’s mayor. The 12-month pilot project to “reconfigure” Chapman Road is nearly at an end, with the City to decide if the modified layout will return to as it was or stay in its current design. The trial, in the Chapman Road section between Durlacher Street and Cathedral Avenue, was designed to slow traffic and attract people to walk the CBD in a bid to make the area more pedestrian-friendly and vibrant. It comes as the City of Greater Geraldton has released a survey to members of the community directly connected to the pilot project, including current and previous City staff and councillors, working party members and those who work at or run businesses along Chapman Road. The feedback will be evaluated and inform the council’s decision-making on the future of Chapman Road’s design. When asked why the survey pool was so narrow, Mayor Shane Van Styn said it was a requirement of the grant process to gain feedback from those directly involved in the project from the beginning and to maintain consistency throughout the trial. “The public has been very clear on the feedback of the road,” he said. Mr Van Styn said he was confident the road would be changed once the pilot project was complete, adding it was obvious the community was against the current design. “The next step will be to close out the report as required and then we will reassess what the road configuration would look like going forward,” he said. “I’m quietly confident there will be modifications made to the current layout.” The “tactical urbanisation pilot project”, delivered with the help of the RAC, ends in mid-September.