Build Cycleways And They Will Come In Droves
Newcastle Herald
Saturday February 10, 2007
DO you know that Newcastle City Council employs a transport officer? Are you aware that the council maintains our cycleways? Did you know that there are a number of unimplemented proposals for new cycleways in the western suburbs ?
You may be curious about the role of the transport officer. Unfortunately the job's profile is low, so perhaps it requires more powers of advocacy, and more publicity. In December 2006 some councillors tried to blame the NSW Government for Newcastle council's majority decision to install more parking meters in the city. The convenient excuse was that allegedly inadequate government public transport has resulted in too many car-borne commuters. Other councillors remain unconvinced of this nebulous link, and dislike the shifting of responsibility for the decision. We would prefer council to address the problem. We own most of the roads, and all of the footpaths and cycleways, so why don't we act? Let us consider Newcastle council giving cyclists alternatives to dangerous roads. I am convinced that expanding and linking the network of cycling tracks would result in more use. This would be cheaper than new roads and parking stations. The proposal for a cycleway beside Dark Creek at Birmingham Gardens was first suggested (to my knowledge) in 2002. It would connect to existing cycleways from Wilkinson Avenue and Newcastle University to Jesmond, and then towards the city. It would follow Iron Bark Creek to Minmi Road, and eventually a link could be established to Maryland and the burgeoning new suburbs further west. Many westies would love the council to expedite this proposal, as evidenced by the representations made to me by the Shortland/Birmingham Gardens Community Forum, and ratepayers in the newer western subdivisions. Cyclists could avoid the single-lane, extremely busy, Minmi Road. This would encourage the large volume of commuters using Minmi Road to consider cycling. One cycleway that has been on council's books for a long time, but has fallen victim to council "budget reallocations" is the Wallsend/Glendale tramway route. I find this particularly frustrating as the hard work and persistence of John Mills the state member for Wallsend, secured $750,000 from the NSW Government in 2005 and council had only to provide half that figure spread over several years. The route runs from Nelson Street, roughly parallel with Lake Road, to Glendale TAFE and would extend the existing track connecting Wallsend to Jesmond. This is another project with significant local support, thanks in part to Jack Jones and the Wallsend Heritage group who worked hard to raise community awareness of the track.I would like to see our council focus more on ways of improving transport choices by implementing plans for walkway/cycleways. I would like to see our council be more assertive when dealing with other levels of government to upgrade our roads and public transport services to complement the tracks.I would like to see more emphasis on the west. This is where the growth is, where the commuters are, and where the facilities are needed.Sonia Hornery is a Newcastle City Councillor.
© 2007 Newcastle Herald