Some residents are appealing to the Scentre Group, owner and operator of Westfield Chermside, to temporarily remove their boom gates and allow free parking during weekends. If granted, residents hope the move will help ease the increasing traffic issues in the area exacerbated by the closure of Toombul Shopping Centre in Nundah.
As a result of the closure of the Toombul Shopping Centre in Nundah, traffic has become such a nightmare for those who live in the Chermside, Stafford and Lutwyche areas.
Customers have experienced more snarls than ever before as Toombul regulars flock to the surrounding retail precincts for alternative options.
Toombul had more than 1,700 car parking spaces at its premises but the shopping centre has permanently closed due to significant damages caused by the February floods.
Four-Hour Traffic Snarls in Westfield Chermside Area
Over the past weekends of May 2022, Westfield Chermside shoppers have complained about the nightmare traffic situation in the area, particularly instances of some locals taking up to four hours just to exit the car park.
Some motorists had been forced to ditch their cars for the day because they could no longer get out of the area. Those that managed to get out also ended up stuck in horrific bumper-to-bumper traffic outside.
Some said that this situation will become like the holiday rush traffic every weekend if no solutions are set in place.
“I was caught up in the madness on the weekend of Mother’s Day,” Glenda Macklin said. “I was stuck in the actual centre for two hours. The problem on that day was not that the boom gates were down, they were up, but there was that much traffic trying to get out of the centre and very very few exit points from the actual car park spots to down ramps.”
“I was on the second level and really there was only one exit to try and get down on to Kitty Hawk drive this was also joined by three or four other exits from different levels creating a mess on Kitty Hawk Drive,” she added.
“This is my local shopping centre and I have never seen it like this was the first time I’ve ever been caught in traffic like that at the centre.”
Asking for Help
In a statement, MP Anika Wells said that she has written to the Scentre Group concerning the boom gates and the free parking. The MP also said that she will ask the Federal Government to “commission a Gympie Road/Hamilton Road planning study to investigate the best solution to this notorious intersection.”
The Scentre Group has not made any comments about the traffic issues. Westfield Chermside has around 7,200 car parking spaces. In 2020, shoppers were upset when the Scentre Group cut the hours for free parking and the traffic issues did not improve.
