Reducing Riverside Drive from four lanes to two could create traffic gridlock in Dundee’s showpiece waterfront according to a critic of the proposal.
West End Community Council chairman Andrew McBride’s personal opinion is that the change would be a bad idea.
“I am obviously against fast moving traffic in built-up areas but wonder if this proposal has really been thought through,” he said.
“When traffic was restricted on Riverside Drive, like when a bus lane was introduced, all it did was create traffic jams further back in the city centre.
“With this evidence, I’m struggling to see why this proposal won’t have the same effect.
“So much time, effort and money is being spent on the waterfront with the V&A and other elements, it would be tragic if the good work is undone by traffic being gridlocked from the Riverside Drive change.
“We haven’t had a discussion about this in the community council yet but I think a number of members will agree with me.”
Mr McBride understood the case for improving pedestrian access in the western section of the waterfront to accommodate new flats and a pedestrian bridge over the railway line, but feared squeezing the high volume of traffic into two lanes in the busy commuter route was not the way to go.
Graeme Stephen, chairman of the Dundee Taxi Association, also had doubts about the £4.2 million plan by transport group Sustrans for the stretch between the Tesco roundabout and the Tay Rail Bridge.
“Would they not be better putting some kind of pedestrian walkway up over the carriageway?” he said.
“Then, they wouldn’t even be holding up traffic with pedestrian lights.”
Graeme Brown of Sustrans said the plan is part of a project to reconnect people to the waterfront.
“The council has done a lot of modelling and the capacity just doesn’t require four lanes at that point,” he said.
“Dundee has made a commitment to try to turn the city into a more people-focused place, rather than traffic.”
A report on the proposals will go before councillors for scrutiny in due course.