Maitland Park Schools Precinct Transport Hub Concept Masterplan
Over the years, student enrolments at the five schools located around Maitland Park: Geraldton Primary School; Holland Street School; St Francis Xavier Primary School; Geraldton Senior High School; and Nagle Catholic College have risen. Currently, nearly 3000 students attend these schools which have similar start and finish times and insufficient parking facilities. This has resulted in increased traffic and congestion during peak hour drop-off/pick-up times which impacts the safety of staff, students and their carers. This will only become more problematic over time as enrolments are increasing.
To address these concerns, the City has been working collaboratively with Landscape architects and urban designers, UDLA and representatives from local groups and organisations to develop a transport hub masterplan that will improve the overall safety of pedestrians, cyclists and drivers while resolving the traffic congestion problems in and around Maitland Park during school peak drop-off/pick-up times.
View the Maitland Park Transport Hub Concept Masterplan Report here
Image: Artist impression of promenade and covered carpark
What's in the Concept Masterplan
The transport hub features covered busports and a covered carpark with solar panels. Low fencing and landscaping will channel pedestrians to a central promenade which leads to two major street crossings on Maitland Street and Carson Terrace. A student hub is also included where students can safely wait to catch their buses in a supervised area.Generous footpaths around Maitland Park will encourage cycling to and from school.
The plan also involves street and intersection modifications including a roundabout at the corner of Carson Terrace and Cathedral Avenue and realigning Carson Terrace and Maitland Street intersection. Designated kiss and drops have been added on Maitland Street and Carson Terrace.
Potential upgrades to Maitland Park will transform the area into an education precinct that features a multi-use community/school pavilion, youth plaza, nature playground and outdoor learning spaces.
A sculpture/botanical trail and education loop along with an arboretum will encourage visitors into the park.
View the Maitland Park Transport Hub Concept Masterplan Report here
Concept Masterplan FAQs
Download FAQs here
Why is a transport hub being considered for Maitland Park?
Over the years, student enrolments at the five schools located around Maitland Park: Geraldton Primary School; Holland Street School; St Francis Xavier Primary School; Geraldton Senior High School; and Nagle Catholic College have risen. Currently, nearly 3000 students attend these schools, which have similar start and finish times and insufficient parking facilities. This has resulted in increased traffic and congestion during peak hour drop-off/pick-up times which impacts the safety of staff, students and their carers. This will only become more problematic over time as enrolments are increasing.
What else is contributing to traffic congestion and safety in the area?
Investigations undertaken in 2020 found there to be:
- Limited parking supply in and around Maitland Park
- Frequent illegal or unauthorised parking occurring throughout the area
- A lack of designated drop-off/pick-up areas for light vehicles
- Poorly connected pedestrian paths and lack of controlled pedestrian crossings
- Congestion caused by the intersection spacing at the Maitland Street/Carson Terrace intersection and turn restrictions from Carson Terrace onto Cathedral Avenue
Where did the transport hub idea come from?
Traffic modelling for the area, which took into consideration available crash data, tested a number of revised traffic scenarios. The following three options to improve traffic movements in the area were identified:
- A transport hub within the western corner of Maitland Park consisting of a dedicated bus drop-off/pick-up area and a large off-street parking facility for parents and students
- The realignment of the Maitland Street and Carson Terrace intersection to reduce the angle to which Maitland Street intersects with Carson Terrace
- A potential roundabout at the intersection of Cathedral Avenue and Carson Terrace
Who came up with the design?
Landscape architects and urban designers, UDLA together with JDSi (civil engineers), Stantec (traffic engineers) and ETC (lighting and electrical engineers), worked closely with the Maitland Park Transport Hub Working Group, comprised of representatives from the following organisations and groups to develop the concept masterplan:
- Local school principals/students and the Department of Education
- Bus transport companies
- Catholic and Anglican churches
- WA police and Crime Prevention Committee
- Main Roads WA and Road Wise
- Cycling Advocacy Group
- Croquet Club
- Friends of Geradlton Gardens and Geraldton Greenough Farmers Market
Why is a busport needed?
On school days, 16 PTA buses (green buses) and 11 school buses (orange buses) drop off/pickup students at various locations in and around Maitland Park, which means approximately 1000 students use this mode of sustainable transport. The busport centralises most of these bus movements making it quicker, easier and safer for students to access buses. It also features a student hub with tables and benches where students can be supervised while they safely wait for their buses.
Image: Artist impression of covered busport
Will the buses using the drop off/pick-up points on Shenton and Sanford Street be rerouted to the busport?
No. The existing bus zones on Shenton and Sanford Streets are an important part of the bus network for school drop offs and pick-ups and will continue to be used.
Why is a carpark being proposed?
On school days, approximately 1500 students are either dropped off and/or picked up in light vehicles and around Maitland Park. There is also a growing number of high school students who drive themselves to and from school. As limited, illegal and unauthorised parking in and around Maitland Park was identified as a safety concern, creating a centralised carpark for students and the carers who cannot 'kiss and drop' students will help resolve this issue.
Image: Artist impression of covered carpark
How does the plan improve pedestrian safety?
Centralising pedestrians entering and exiting buses and parked vehicles within the transport hub will help resolve the issue of illegal/unauthorised street parking and risky mid-block street crossings between parked vehicles. The transport hub will also feature low fencing and landscaping that will channel pedestrians to a central promenade which leads to two major street crossings on Maitland Street and Carson Terrace. This will greatly reduce the number of people crossing the street mid-block.
Image: Artist Impression of education precicnt
Won’t the transport hub decrease the size of Maitland Park?
No, it won’t. The footprint of the proposed transport hub covers the area currently used by the Croquet Club.
Image: Artist impression of Maitland Park
What is going to happen to the Croquet Club?
During the investigations, the Croquet Club indicated their membership is growing and they require more land to build additional greens and to increase the size of their carpark. As their current site no longer meets their needs, the City has been working closely with club members to identify an alternative location before their lease expires in 2025. The City would assist the club with relocation.
What about the botanic garden and farmers market?
The Friends of Geradlton Gardens (FroGGs) botanic garden plans have been taken into consideration in the Concept Masterplan. It is expected that they will have a continued role in the design, establishment and maintenance of the arboretum.
The covered busport and/or carpark would be available for use by the farmers market on weekends.
Who is funding this and when will it be built?
If there is enough community support for the concept plan, Council may consider further development of the Transport Hub Masterplan and potentially adding it to the Ten-Year Capital Works Program. Should Council decide to add it to the Capital Works Program, the search for external grant funding for the project would begin.