The new two-way Golden Mile bus route started in November 2010. Buses now travel between Lambton Quay and Courtenay Place using Willis and Manners streets, moving in both directions.
New look for lower Cuba Street
With the work on the Golden Mile bus route finished, attention was then focused on upgrading lower Cuba street. The 'new look' lower Cuba street has the following features:
- It is a slow-speed area where pedestrians have priority.
- Vehicle and cycle access is one-way - from Manners Street to Wakefield Street.
- Drivers and cyclists must give way to pedestrians.
- The speed limit is 10 km/h.
- Two-hour parallel parking replaces the old angle parking.
- The wide areas next to the shops are for pedestrians only.
Take extra care
You need to take extra care at each end of the street where vehicles exit and enter. These crossing points are like others in the central city. If you are driving through, you should give way to pedestrians - even on a green light.
Shared space
Shared spaces are designed to accommodate a range of users - pedestrians, cyclists and drivers - and work well in Melbourne and many European cities. Rather than restricting or not allowing vehicles, they use design features to encourage low speeds.
The new shared space:
- extends the design 'feel' from Cuba Mall to reinforce the pedestrian link to Civic Square
- is flexible so it can be closed to traffic and used for special events like the Cuba Street Carnival.
Bond Street road closure and parking changes
Bond Street is now closed for vehicles at the intersection with Willis Street. This is part of improving pedestrian and vehicle safety on the Golden Mile. There are also parking changes on Bond Street and Mercer Street.