Northbridge will become a pedestrian priority zone on Friday and Saturday evenings, with road closures on James Street beginning on October 28.
The initiative, which will coincide with the T20 Cricket World Cup, is the result of a partnership between the State Government, WA Police and the City of Perth.
The road closures will mean non-essential vehicle traffic will be diverted away from James Street between William Street and Lake Street on Friday and Saturday evenings between 6pm and 6am.
The pedestrian priority zone will be managed by WA Police and is aimed at better activating the space for families, fun-goers and local businesses.
The City of Perth will replace cars with a range of family friendly activities and entertainment, which have been funded by a State Government grant of $100,000.
Designated taxi and ride share ranks will be set up and patrolled by security near the pedestrian only zone.
During the month-long initiative local businesses can apply for a free permit to spill out onto the street, creating a festive and friendly vibe for families early in the evening.
Police Minister Paul Papalia thanked WA Police and the City of Perth for their exceptional work on an initiative which is expected to make Perth’s entertainment precinct a safer and livelier place.
As stated by Police Minister Paul Papalia:
“The biggest thing moving down James Street will be our mounted police. The fastest thing will be our officers on bicycles. This initiative is expected to provide more space for family friendly attractions, more room for local businesses to get creative, and the means for more efficient policing.
“I am very thankful to the City of Perth and WA Police for working with the State Government to make this happen.
“We are giving Northbridge back to the people with an initiative which will prioritise foot traffic, family friendly fun and a festive atmosphere.
“We already have more police officers in our entertainment precinct than ever before. We are introducing new laws which will ban troublemakers from our entertainment precincts. Removing traffic congestion will allow for more efficient police movement. This is all about making Northbridge more inviting to families, and extremely hostile to those who think anti-social behaviour is acceptable.”
As stated by Police Commissioner Col Blanch:
“We want Northbridge to be a safe place for everyone to enjoy.
“We have placed extra police officers in the Perth district to provide a strong and visible police presence to improve community safety.
“It is hoped the reduced crowd density and the activated spaces during this initiative will reduce crime and antisocial behaviour and make it easier for officers to rapidly respond to incidents as they occur.”
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