Hobart City Deal - Southern Projects
The Southern Projects is a suite of coordinated transport projects focused on providing safer and more reliable travel options between Hobart’s growing southern suburbs and the CBD.
Southern Projects
The Southern Projects include:
- park and ride facilities in Huntingfield and Firthside
- Southern Outlet Transit Lane
- the Transit Lane Connector between Davey and Macquarie Streets
- Macquarie and Davey Streets Bus Improvements.
Works underway
Works have started on Macquarie and Davey streets to improve bus movements and traffic flow, particularly during the morning and afternoon peaks.
- Parking spaces will be removed along the southern side of Macquarie Street to create an extra lane for traffic. Work started in January 2024, and we expect to finish in autumn 2024, weather permitting.
- Resurfacing work on Macquarie Street will be done at night to minimise traffic impacts.
The current peak period clearway on the northern side of Macquarie Street from the Southern Outlet will be extended from Gore Street to Molle Street. - The clearway will be used as a traffic lane during the morning peak from 6:30 to 9:30 am, and afternoon peak from 3:00 to 6:00 pm.
Next steps - early works
Transit Lane Connector
Later this year, work will start to add an extra lane at the bottom of the Southern Outlet to ease the bottleneck.
The road between the Southern Outlet and Davey Street intersection through to Macquarie Street will be widened.
This new lane will connect to the new clearway on Macquarie Street.
This project went out to tender late 2023 and is expected to start in mid 2024.
Rockface protection work
Later in 2024 some preparation work will start for the Southern Outlet Transit Lane with rockface protection just down from Olinda Grove.
The rockface is safe, but needs further protection work to be completed before work starts on major construction of the Transit Lane to reduce the risk of rocks falling during construction.
Major work on the transit lane is expected to start in 2025.
Managing traffic
Planning is underway to reduce impacts on traffic from the major construction period for the Southern Outlet Transit Lane.
Different options to reduce the impacts on traffic during construction may include working at night or outside of peak periods. The aim is to minimise extended lane closures where possible.
It is also expected that conditions will be included in the contract to discourage significant traffic issues and lengthy lane closures.
Importantly, the early work that is underway, including building the extra lane between Macquarie and Davey streets and extending the peak-hour clearway on Macquarie Street, will improve traffic flow and help reduce the traffic impacts of the transit lane construction.
Transit Lane Connector diagram
1About the Hobart City Deal
The Hobart City Deal is a 10-year partnership between the Australian and Tasmanian Governments and the Clarence, Glenorchy, Hobart and Kingborough councils. The partnership aims to:
- increase the use of public and active transport
- create urban renewal though compact, liveable and sustainable precincts
- deliver vibrant and liveable communities with access to green spaces, and supporting cultural and recreational facilities
- grow Greater Hobart’s status as a global connected city.
City Deal Partners are delivering a broad package of infrastructure improvements and services to encourage changed transport habits, manage congestion, improve traffic flow and inform decision making in the Greater Hobart Region.
The Hobart City Deal will leverage Hobart’s natural amenity and build on its position as a vibrant, liveable and connected global city.
2Southern Projects background
The Southern Projects is a suite of coordinated transport projects focused on providing safer and more reliable travel options between Hobart’s growing southern suburbs and the CBD.
The Southern Outlet Transit Lane will operate between Olinda Grove and Macquarie Street as a T3 transit lane.
It can be used by private vehicles carrying three or more people, buses, taxis, motorbikes and emergency service vehicles.
The transit lane will support a greater uptake of public transport and carpooling, with improved travel times and reliability for transit lane users.
3Timeline
We are timing these works to minimise traffic impacts and make sure we aren’t working on too many sections at the same time.
Tender advertised for Macquarie and Davey Street Bus Improvements
October 2023Tenders advertised for Transit Lane Connector between Davey and Macquarie Streets
Late 2023Work finishes on Macquarie and Davey Street Bus Improvements
Early to mid 2024Work starts on Macquarie and Davey Streets Bus Improvements
January 2024Tenders awarded for Transit Lane Connector
Early 2024Work finishes on Macquarie and Davey Streets Bus Improvements
Mid 2024Construction starts on Transit Lane Connector between Macquarie and Davey Streets
Mid 2024Construction starts on rock preliminary rock work for Southern Outlet Transit lane
late 2024Tenders advertised for major construction of Southern Outlet Transit Lane
mid to late 2024Tenders awarded for major construction of Southern Outlet Transit Lane
Late 2024Construction starts on Southern Outlet Transit lane
Early 20254What have we done so far?
Park and Ride facilities
New park and ride facilities are open at Firthside near the intersection of Browns Road and Groningen Road, and Huntingfield.
Both sites offer better pedestrian access, lighting, and safety measures, and new shelters and bicycle storage facilities.
New express bus services
We have added express bus services between the southern suburbs and Hobart to improve travel around Hobart and make public transport a more viable, attractive option for commuters.
The new express bus services support a shift towards greater public transport use in the Southern Corridor.
The express bus services will work with the Southern Outlet Transit Lane and Macquarie Street and Davey Street Bus Improvements when they are completed to improve public transport access all the way from the southern suburbs to Hobart’s CBD.
5Community consultation
The latest round of community consultation finished in September 2021 for the Southern Outlet Transit Lane and the Macquarie and Davey Streets Bus Improvements.
You can read more about the consultation and findings here.
Previous consultation
Targeted consultation
In 2018, we delivered an online public consultation about the current Southern Outlet bus lane. Feedback was sought on the issues that are important to people, such as travel times, public transport, safety and the environment. This consultation process attracted more than 340 responses, with many people supporting the bus lane and expressing frustration in relation to congestion and safety issues.
In late 2019, two focus group meetings were held in Hobart and Kingborough to discuss local issues and obtain feedback to contribute to the planning and design processes of the Hobart Transport Vision.
A summary report was provided to participants and is also available to download.
November/December 2020 Park and Ride public display
Public display of concept designs for the Kingborough park and ride facilities and improved southern suburbs bus service changes took place from 18 November to 2 December 2020 and is now complete.
The public display period included a broad range of opportunities to engage the project team in dialogue about issues, challenges and opportunities and to provide feedback for consideration as part of the decision–making process.
We summarised the feedback we received into a consultation and feedback summary report.
6Reports
Concept options report
In 2017, we commissioned consultants to produce a concept options report for the initial concept of a transit lane for buses and emergency services on the Southern Outlet.
Traffic modelling
We did extensive traffic modelling to help us understand traffic impacts for this project. A summary report on traffic modelling is available.
7Previous updates
Click play below to see a video update on the Southern Projects.
What have we done so far?
Park and Ride facilities
New park and ride facilities are open at Firthside near the intersection of Browns Road and Groningen Road, and Huntingfield.
Both sites offer better pedestrian access, lighting, and safety measures, and new shelters and bicycle storage facilities.
New express bus services
We have added express bus services between the southern suburbs and Hobart to improve travel around Hobart and make public transport a more viable, attractive option for commuters.
The new express bus services support a shift towards greater public transport use in the Southern Corridor.
The express bus services will work with the Southern Outlet Transit Lane and Macquarie Street and Davey Street Bus Improvements when they are completed to improve public transport access all the way from the southern suburbs to Hobart’s CBD.
Projects
Accessibility
If you would like to find out more information and you have accessibility requirements, please contact us (details below).
You can find out more about Transport Services' commitment to accessibility on our website here: https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/accessibility
Contact
If you have comments about this project, please email info@stategrowth.tas.gov.au.