Streetscape upgrades to Barkly Village
Published on 08 July 2022
Council is proposing to make improvements to enhance Barkly Street in West Footscray – widely known as Barkly Village – to make it safer, greener and more attractive for local residents, traders and visitors.
Barkly Village is a thriving precinct in West Footscray, full of a range of dining, shopping and entertainment opportunities, and is a key connection in Maribyrnong, stretching nearly one kilometre and linking neighbouring precincts in Footscray and Braybrook.
To support the growing West Footscray community, we’re proposing a range of amenity and streetscape improvements along Barkly Street from the Summerhill Road intersection in the east to the Elphinstone Street intersection in the west. These improvements will help support the visitor experience in and around the Village, with more greenery, seating and artworks, and make the area safer and more accessible, especially for pedestrians and those who cycle.
To enhance the visitor experience to the area, potential upgrades include more greenery with the addition of trees, rain gardens and plants, more public seats, and artworks by local artists. Other options include retaining and reconfiguring parking to support more greenery and increase the opportunities for outdoor dining, and the welcome signage at both ends of the Village will also help reinforce its distinctive identity as a shopping and hospitality precinct in the inner west.
To improve access to the area, potential upgrades include widening the footpath at some points like bus stops to make it safer and easier to access public transport, remarking car spaces, and converting a car space into a disabled car space to support safe access to nearby medical centres.
To make it safer to walk and cycle throughout the area, potential upgrades include installing two new signalised pedestrian crossings and improving the existing crossings. Further improvements include installing dedicated bike lanes and sections of protective barriers to separate cyclists and traffic on each side of Barkly Street east of Warleigh Road, installing bike boxes at pedestrian crossings to make it safer for cyclists waiting for the lights to change, more bike storage, and upgrading Elphinstone Lane as a key walking and cycling connection.
To ensure these proposed improvements meet the needs of the community, we are seeking your thoughts on the draft plans, to help inform the final plans.
Feedback closes 5pm, Sunday 31 July. Come and chat with us onsite about your priorities and thoughts – we'll be at West Footscray Library, 539 Barkly Street West Footscray, from:
- 10.30am-12.30pm, Saturday 9 July
- 11.30am-1.30pm, Saturday 16 July
We will also be re-engaging the community on the future of the Clarke Street Pop-Up Park towards the end of this year to understand if there is an appetite to make it permanent and, if it is made permanent, what features it should have.
To download a copy of the concept plans and provide feedback, visit www.yourcityyourvoice.com.au/BarklyStreet
Message from the Mayor, Cr Anthony Tran
The proposed streetscape upgrades for Barkly Village are essential in enhancing access, amenity and safety, to support a growing community, local traders and visitors to the area. To ensure they are reflective of local needs and priorities, please take the time to provide your feedback and come down and have a chat so that you can help shape the direction of the changes in your neighbourhood.
Maribyrnong News
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