The Streets as Shared Spaces Manly project is part of a package of works that seeks to improve and activate the connections around town centres and beaches in the Northern Beaches Council Local Government Area.

The initial proposal was to reduce the speed limit along Whistler Street from Sydney Road through to the Corso and on to Darley Road, closing the road to southbound traffic, installing a bi-directional cycleway and increasing the available street dining area along this section. The other part of the project was to provide a bi-directional cycleway along Belgrave Street to link Raglan Street and Kangaroo Lane to Sydney Road.

After consulting with the community in November 2020, Council reviewed the draft plans and a revised option was developed to remove the dedicated cycling components of the project through Manly CBD, reduce the on street dining provision to three areas along the route, and retain the two-way traffic and 30km/h speed limit.

The trial includes new:

• road treatments
• street furniture locations
• garden beds and planter boxes
• low-level lighting until 11pm.

Outdoor dining and street furniture is located at:

• Whistler Street car park (two parking spaces will be removed)
• The Corso (two on-street parking spaces removed and relocation of motorcycle parking)
• Darley Road (four on-street parking spaces removed).

The street furniture is used for communal dining during the day. Council is working with surrounding businesses to manage the use of the street furniture in the evenings.

This trial will run until December 2021.

At its meeting on Tuesday 15 December 2020, Council resolved to:

• acknowledge the NSW Government for providing the funding for the Streets As Shared Spaces program
• receive the detailed community engagement report on the Activate Manly/Streets As Shared project
• write to the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment requesting approval of the project scope variation for Activate Manly
• endorse the Activate Manly project revised project scope to be installed in February 2021
• receive a report on the Activate Manly Project to evaluate the performance of the trial and any improvements that may be required or requested, three months after implementation
• receive a briefing in 2021 on options for other projects that could be delivered at short notice in line with the program funding guidelines, subject to approval of the project funding scope changes by Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and appropriate public consultation.

View the full resolution in the Council minutes - Item 13.1, pg. 19

View the Council report - Item 13.1, pg. 173 and Attachment booklet 3 - Item 13.1

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on this project.