Melbourne speed limit is slashed to 30km to make the city ‘less friendly’ to motorists 

The Melbourne CBD speed limit will be slashed to just 30km per hour.

It will be enforced in the Hoddle grid to cut the number accidents between pedestrians and vehicles, according to a Herald Sun report.

The new speed limit will replace the 40km/h limit that was introduced seven years ago between Flinders, Spring, La Trobe and Spencer streets.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the council plans to make the CBD a less friendly place by reducing on-street parking and make fewer streets open to two-way traffic.  

‘The biggest source of congestion in the city of Melbourne is our pedestrian traffic,’ Cr Capp said in a keynote speech, according to The Age.

‘Our data shows us that 89 per cent of the trips around the city of Melbourne happen by foot and yet they have 24 per cent of the infrastructure space made available to them.’  

The Council is considering increasing the time pedestrians have to cross at junctions, widening footpaths and expanding bike lanes. 

Shifting speed limits between peak and off-peak times will be considered for busy roads like King Street where a 30km speed limit could be impractical.   

Lord Mayor Sally Capp wants to prioritise pedestrians by increasing the time pedestrians have to cross at junctions, widening footpaths and expanding bike lanes

Swanston Street, which passes Flinders Street Station and the State Library, is already 30kmh for permitted vehicles. 

A congestion tax is on the table but it would need state government approval. 

The Council will reveal its transport strategy in May, which will include the proposed new speed limit.

The new 30km speed limit will replace the 40km limit that was introduced seven years ago between Flinders, Spring, La Trobe and Spencer streets