OUTDOOR dining on Darby Street could become a menu staple as the City of Newcastle's six-month trial comes to a close.
Councillors will vote next week on whether to keep the raised outdoor dining deck installed along a section of the popular eat street.
Newcastle lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said business and community feedback on the trial had been positive.
"In the first three months of the trial we saw a 67 per cent increase in visitation, a 13 per cent increase in cyclists using Darby Street and average speeds north of Council Street were reduced from 42kmph to 30kmph.
"Overall, most people, 69 per cent, who provided feedback in our online survey support retaining the trial infrastructure.
"This trial gave us a unique opportunity to try new things and test ideas for community spaces and we can take these learnings to other commercial areas across the Newcastle LGA."
Under the state government's Streets as Shared Spaces initiative, the council installed the raised dining deck, a pedestrian crossing next to the Headphones Courtyard and reduced the speed limit to 30 kilometres per hour.
The trial cost $500,000 in state government grants and CN funds.
Deputy lord mayor Declan Clausen said he had worked closely with businesses and residents who raised concerns about a loss in parking and noise impacts.
"During the trial we had some feedback that noise was being generated by speed humps at the southern entry of the 30kmph zone while others provided feedback about cyclist safety at the northern entry," he said.
"Should the infrastructure be retained, these items would be addressed with a revised design for the traffic calming infrastructure, which would be placed on public exhibition in April for the community to review and comment on.
"We also heard that the community supported the continuation of the free, two-hour timed parking in the Queen Street carpark which was introduced to compensate for on-street parking losses."
The council will decide whether to make the outdoor dining permanent on Tuesday.
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