Bondi’s Notts Avenue gets a pedestrian-friendly makeover

Bondi’s Notts Avenue gets a pedestrian-friendly makeover

By ALLISON HORE

An iconic Bondi address has received a pedestrian-friendly makeover. The new-and-improved Notts Avenue in North Bondi was officially opened by Waverley Council today. 

Works on the upgrade project started in April last year after Waverley Council’s ‘People, Movement and Places strategy’ identified improving pedestrian safety on Notts Avenue as a key priority. 

The road is heavily accessed by pedestrians, especially during special events like the Sculptures by the Sea where foot traffic spilled out onto the road. It is also home to the iconic Bondi Icebergs swim club which sees more than 140,000 visitors per year. 

Now, the road has been transformed into a 10 kilometer per hour shared traffic zone. 

Notts Avenue before the upgrades with pedestrians spilling out onto the street. Photo: Waverley Council

Other major changes to the streetscape included a cantilevered northern lookout, a shade structure, mature palm trees and new paving. The number of parking spaces along the road was also reduced to 20 spaces to allow for garden beds and small trees to “soften” the strip.

Council hopes the $3.75 million Notts Avenue upgrade will not only improve the safety and amenity for residents and businesses, but also the one million annual users of the Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk. 

Soaking in scenery

Waverley Mayor, Paula Masselos, says the road upgrades have transformed the space into “a beautiful place to soak in the view of beautiful Bondi Beach.”

“The design not only compliments the natural forms of the surrounding coastal environment but enables people to gather to enjoy this glorious view without having to queue up along the path,” Mayor Masselos said.

“It also provides improved access for pedestrians using the stairs north of Icebergs, which is really important especially during the height of summer.”

Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos speaks at the opening of the new-and-improved road. Photo: Facebook/Waverley Council

Speaking at the official opening, Ms. Masselos thanked local residents for their patience during the construction works and their support during the consultation process. Just over 98 percent of residents who were consulted throughout the projects’ design said they supported it. 

“Congratulations to everyone who was involved in this project, and a very big shout out and thank you to our residents who provided the input, put up with the noise while it was being built, and are now able to enjoy the product,” she said.

Although the project was originally slated to cost around $1 million, the scope of the project changed significantly from the first proposal. As well as the new lookout and shared zone, new paving was layed, balustrades were upgraded and energy efficient lighting was installed. 

The upgrades were part of the Waverley Council’s ‘Bondi Blueprint,’ a $70 million suite of upgrades to “improve the experience” of both visitors to Bondi and local residents. Also included in the ‘Bondi Blueprint’ are plans to improve streetscaping along Campbell Parade.

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