They say frustrated customers are shopping elsewhere because they are unable to park on the strip.
The street is losing parking bays to numerous construction sites.
And a Bayside Council plan to plant more trees and replace street furniture and footpaths won’t fix the problem, traders say.
“Customers are cancelling appointments, sometimes not even turning up,” Stuart Roache from Loxx Designers of Hair said.
“Staff can’t get to work and if they manage to get a carpark, they spend more time moving cars around rather than working,” he said.
“The grab for cash by the council and developers is wrecking business.”
Trader Andrea Thrum said reopening the gates would cut congestion.
But the State Government has set no date to reopen them, despite the Coalition’s pre-election pledge backed up with $2 million in last month’s State Budget. Brighton MP Louise Asher said options were being considered.
Hampton Primary School principal Sue Knight said traffic congestion had spilled into side streets because parents tried to avoid Hampton St.
Marie McNeil says the strip’s traffic chaos was a factor in daughter Zoe being knocked off her bike by an opening car door, breaking her shoulder and nose. At least one trader has been driven out of business.
Martin Ball told the Leader in May the loss of customers due to lack of parking would force him to close his shop, Urban Identity, in early July.
Council director of infrastructure services Guy Wilson-Browne said the council was planning to install roundabouts, and road signs to direct shoppers to off-street car parks.
Source Link: Strip's Traffic Chaos
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