Young Street FAQs Stage 3 (George Street to Glen Osmond Road)

The concept design includes:

• Five new single-lane slow points with a speed hump, bicycle bypass and landscaping to improve cyclist safety and traffic calming.
• New printed pavement treatments at all four intersections to enhance visibility and navigation.
• A 65m shared-use path on the northern side of Young Street near the Glen Osmond Road approach, providing a safe connection for pedestrians and cyclists to the signalised crossing point.
• Approximately 110m² of greening opportunities with the potential for up to five new trees (subject to underground service constraints).
• Loss of 18 on-street parking spaces (representing a 12% reduction in parking capacity) to enable the broader benefits of the plan to be realised.

The proposed streetscape improvements will result in the removal of 18 on-street parking spaces, reducing overall on-street parking by 12% along the 700m corridor.

133 on-street parking spaces will remain in the proposed plan.

Council Administration uses on-street parking data and survey analysis to make informed streetscape improvement proposals. Data referred to includes:

• A daytime parking survey (conducted between 8am and 6pm on June 29, 2023) found an average parking occupancy of 26%. 
• Follow-up surveys utilising smart parking camera technology supported the initial findings. Called Aero Ranger, the surveys were conducted during September to December 2024, during the hours of 9am to 5pm.
• An evening parking survey (conducted between 6pm and 9pm on 26 February, 2025) found an average parking occupancy of 31%.

The highest day-time parking demand was observed:

• Between George Street and Jaffrey Street: increased demand was observed due to the nearby café and events at Parkside Baptist Church.
• Between St. Raphael’s Catholic Church and Glen Osmond Road: increased demand in this section is linked to the Glen Osmond Road Business Precinct, Park Side Primary School, and St. Raphael’s Church.

A summary of the day-time Parking Occupancy data by street section can be found here.

Impact on residents

The reduction in parking spaces, where a slow point is proposed, will impact residents’ ability to park directly in front of their homes. However, all affected properties have access to one or more off-street parking options, as well as ample nearby on-street parking.\

If you have concerns or questions about the impact on residential parking, please include them in your survey submission.

The section of Young Street between George Street and Glen Osmond Road allows for car parking on both sides. This configuration creates a single lane "Yield" street when two cars are parked opposite each other. 

Traffic volumes on this section currently range from 1,440 to 1,650 vehicles per day, with 85% of vehicles travelling at or below 42km/h.

The project will likely reduce daily traffic volumes on this section of Young Street by 200 to 250 vehicles per day, due to a decrease in rat-running and a shift to cycling and walking. 

Leicester and Robsart Streets may see minor increases in traffic but already carry lower traffic volumes (985 and 670 vehicles per day, respectively).

If the project proceeds to implementation, the Council will commit to a six-month post-construction review. This review will allow Administration to assess actual impacts and determine if further investigations are necessary.

Driveways will remain accessible for standard vehicles (B85 and B99 check vehicles) from all directions.

The concept design has been developed using a detailed engineering survey in CAD (Computer-Aided Design). Each slow point has been located and designed to ensure it can accommodate  B85 (4.9m by 1.87m vehicle) and/or B99 (5.2m by 1.94m)  check vehicles entering and exiting adjacent driveways from all directions.

If you are a resident or property owner directly affected by this project and would like to review the driveway access assessments, please contact the Council at (08) 8372 5111 or email pobox1@unley.sa.gov.au

The concept design includes up to five new trees in the landscaped kerb buildouts at the proposed five new single-lane slow points.

If underground service constraints prevent tree planting, the buildouts will still include landscaping to improve greenery and cooling.

The proposed slow point locations follow Australian Standards, the Austroads Guide, and the Department for Infrastructure and Transport’s (DIT) Code of Technical Requirements. Key design considerations include:

• The first slow point located within 50m of the start of the street (DIT Code of Technical Requirements S10.1.1.2).
• Equal distance between slow points (80m and 120m apart) for consistent traffic calming (AS 1742.13 and Austroads Guide to Traffic Management Part 8: Local Street Management).
• Locations have been chosen to:
  • minimise the loss of on-street parking.
  • avoid inspection covers.
  • be located between residential crossovers
  • consider crossovers along the same kerb and crossovers on the kerb opposite.
  • be outside of properties that have access to off-street parking.
• Access to residential properties are maintained, with assessments conducted for B85 and B99 vehicle turn paths.
• Consideration was given to potential tree planting, avoiding conflicts with underground services and existing extensive tree canopies.

Three Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) options were explored to help further reduce traffic and speeds along Young Street, making it a more suitable east-west bicycle route. 

These options were:

• Option 1: Slow points with bicycle bypass (preferred)
• Option 2: Speed humps with landscaping
• Option 3: Speed humps without landscaping.

Option 1 was identified as the preferred choice. While this option has the greatest impact on traffic and parking, it best aligns with the project's primary objectives: 

1. Improved safety for cyclists and pedestrians: Slow points are designed to reduce vehicle speeds, improving safety for both cyclists and pedestrians. Bicycle bypasses minimise the risk of vehicle-cyclist conflicts.
2. Better cyclist experience: Bicycle bypasses offer dedicated spaces for cyclists to navigate around slow points safely. This design encourages more people to cycle, especially those who may be less experienced or hesitant.
3. Enhanced community aesthetics: Slow points, when integrated with landscaping and thoughtful design elements, can enhance the street’s visual appeal while effectively calming traffic.
4. Proven success: Data from the Wood-Weller Bikeway, which includes slow points with dedicated bicycle bypasses, highlights their success in calming traffic and promoting cycling activity. Recent counts on Weller Street show approximately 200 to 250 daily bicycle trips between Ophir Street and Albert Street. This marks a significant increase compared to the period before the installation of the slow points. This evidence further supports the effectiveness of slow points to enhance a bikeway's usability.

Bins will still be able to be placed on the kerbside adjacent to the slow points or near the slow points, and the waste truck will be able to collect the bin(s) by straddling the kerb between the hump and bicycle bypass if required.