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Cities like Auckland, Berlin, Sydney and Melbourne, to name a few, are temporarily removing car parks to make way for pop-up bike lanes and wider footpaths to maintain social distancing around the CBD.
In Adelaide no change. At the Council meeting on 12 May Councillor Simms proposed a motion which included that administration investigate short-term measures to accommodate additional cycling on city streets, including the establishment of ‘pop-up’ bike lanes. Councillor Simms proposed that Adelaide do what is being done in cities all over the world. Team Adelaide (DLM Hyde Councillors Abrahimzadeh, Couros, Hou, Khera, Knoll) plus Councillor Moran voted this down. Only Councillors Simms, Donovan and Martin voted in favour of these short term measures for cycling.
A missed opportunity.
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- We co-signed a letter calling for urgent action to support walking and cycling through a number of measures, such as infrastructure, together with over 100 signatures from leading health and transport experts across the country. This is in addition to support from the Heart Foundation, Public Health Association of Australia, the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, the Australasian College of Road Safety, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Trauma Committee, Kidsafe, the Australasian Injury Prevention Network, the Committee for Sydney and the Committee for Adelaide. The letter has now been distributed to 37 Ministers, Premiers, Chief Ministers and other MPs.
- Chair Katie Gilfillan wrote to Hon Stephan Knoll MP congratulating him for providing additional funding to local councils to fast track shovel ready projects.
- Katie also mentioned the council funding above, the need for better arterial road crossings and a special mention of the delayed East-West city bike lane on Radio Adelaide Breakfast (ABC). This interview was followed by ACC Councillor Robert Sims who further reinforced the need for suitable infrastructure. Both interviews formed the basis of a news article on the ABC website.
- Katie then did a second interview with ABC radio (Sonya's afternoon) about keeping new riders going post COVID-19. Jill Whitaker (Mayor of Campbelltown) also talked about the projects they have committed to that support cycling.
- Fay Paterson has joined the Road Safety Strategy Working Group. The Working Group is to provide advice, guidance and feedback to assist in the development of the next South Australian Road Safety Strategy for consideration by the South Australian Government.
- Chair Katie Gilfillan is liaising with DPTI regarding the flooding at the Northern Connector underpass. We are anticipating a remedy in the short term.
- BISA Committee member Andrew Waugh has prepared a submission to the consultation supporting the bikeway between Willunga and Aldinga, connecting Aldinga with the Coast to Vines rail trail project. He expressed a strong preference for the option that would involve the use of Flour Mill Road, which is the most direct route and the cheapest! The submission also points out that we have the expertise to support Council in the further planning of the route and that we are happy to contribute this. You can read Andrew’s submission here. Andrew liaised with the Aldinga BUG who supported this option in their submission.
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TAPA MARTINTHI YALA Shared Use Path
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The shared use pathway planned as part of the Northern Connector project reaches another milestone with the opening of the second section of the Tapa Martinthi Yala Shared Use Path along the Northern Connector motorway, between the Bolivar and Southern Interchanges. This compliments the first section of the Tapa Martinthi Yala which opened between the Northern and Bolivar Interchanges in April. The name Tapa Martinthi Yala, means "pathway to embrace today" in the Aboriginal Kaurna language.
The planned path connects the new Port River Bikeway and the Gawler Greenway, creating around 43km of continuous paths from Gawler to Port Adelaide with the final connection to the Gawler Greenway expected in the coming weeks. Cyclists and walkers are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the map below and take care at the dedicated pedestrian crossings. You can also plan your ride on these new cycling facilities on the Cycle Instead Journey Planner.
BISA congratulate DPTI on the finalisation of this significant piece of shared use infrastructure, offering both walkers and cyclists a long distance option that is safe for active transport users with key destinations at both ends.
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Infrastructure SA releases 20 year plan
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Infrastructure SA launched the 20 Year State Infrastructure Strategy on the 13th May. BISA is pleased to receive acknowledgment of our input back in 2019 promoting active transport. Committee member Ian Radbone lodged a submission for BISA back then and we also met with Infrastructure SA leadership to discuss.
We are pleased to see that most of our active transport and green infrastructure points and messages have been included in the strategy, and the health benefits of infrastructure are acknowledged!
Priorities listed as:
- A growing population and greater focus on health and wellbeing also increases demand, both in active organised participation and more unstructured activities such as walking and cycling.
- Adelaide is very car dependent, with approximately 85% of daily trips using motor vehicles while public transport represents only 8.3% of daily trips, other forms of transport are also low. Despite recent investments in cycling and walking infrastructure, there is no holistic network.
- Take a more strategic approach to promote active transport options. Places that encourage cycling and walking through good design contribute to positive health and wellbeing, and to improving the liveability of communities. Adelaide has relatively low levels of active transport and investment in appropriate infrastructure has historically been piecemeal. A more strategic approach that looks to build a safe and accessible active transport network should encourage greater participation in cycling and walking.
- Accessibility of facilities and services and active and passive recreation spaces, in particular open and green spaces, are key. As the world becomes more urbanised, green infrastructure will play an increasingly important role to maintain liveability standards.
- As the trend towards greater density in urban infill continues, it provides opportunities to plan for a more efficient public transport system as well as more walkable communities.
And active transport gets its own priority........
PRIORITY 24: TAKE A MORE STRATEGIC APPROACH TO PROMOTING ACTIVE TRANSPORT OPTIONS
Active travel will play a smaller (by volume) but equally important role in supporting a liveable city. Given Adelaide’s geography and extensive grid network, active travel can become a legitimate alternative to the use of private vehicles for a whole trip, or to form the last mile of a longer trip using public transport. The State Government, in consultation with stakeholders, should develop an active transport strategy that maps an optimal integrated network that supports greater use of walking, cycling and other forms of active transport for connection between residential and employment areas for the CBD, inner suburban ring and other key centres across metropolitan Adelaide, including key rail interchanges and their catchment. This should be matched to a prioritised program of staged development on key active transport corridors, where feasible, parallel to rather than on arterial roads to minimise risks of conflicts.
Now we will need to ensure that this implemented. An Active Transport strategy has been on our agenda for a while.
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These projects need your support
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Mike Turtur (Goodwood section) upgrade
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One of Adelaide's favourite paths is receiving a much needed upgrade. The proposed Bikeway upgrade promises to deliver:
- Wider shared-use path for pedestrians and cyclists (typically 4.0m wide)
- New bitumen path to replace the existing aged pavers, with improved surface treatments to protect existing trees
- Upgraded LED path lighting
- Improved accessibility to Tram Stop 2 (Wayville) from Bendall Avenue
- A greener corridor inclusive of new trees and low shrubs
A long awaited opportunity to fix a section of this path that has been an issue for decades. Encourage City of Unley and DPTI by completing the survey by 8th June.
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Flinders Greenway - another survey
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The City of Marion, Renewal SA and DPTI are co-funding and implementing a new Greenway in 2020/21. The Greenway runs from Alawoona Avenue to Birch Crescent, then will be integrated with Birch Crescent which will become a southern connector to the Tonsley Innovation District and the Sturt River Linear Park. The provision of a Pedestrian/Cyclist bridge over Sturt Road is most encouraging.
Visit www.makingmarion.com.au/flinders-greenway to view the plans and complete the survey by 5 June 2020. BISA is preparing a submission regarding this project.
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Linear Park - Grange to Semaphore Park
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And a final call to action. The Government needs your support to reclassify land so they can push through this last part of the Linear Park. We all know how popular the beachside path is and would love to see this section completed, avoiding the need to use Military Rd. Add your voice here. There are already many supporters but we need more to make this happen.
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Pedal Update Editor - changing of the guard
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For the past five years committee member Ian Radbone has been editor of Pedal Update, it's a significant commitment and he has worked hard to improve the magazine, particularly with excellent technical articles. Feeling the need to pass on the baton so he could focus on other bike advocacy matters, especially given his commitment to the Super Tuesday bike count, it was time for a change.
So now Pedal Update has a new editor, Stephen Janes, who is also the long serving Treasury for BISA. Hopefully I can maintain the high standard that readers have become accustomed to!
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Goodbye printed Walking & Cycling maps
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DPTI have asked us to remove any references to the printed cycling and walking maps, these maps have not been maintained for some time with users being directed to the Cycle Instead journey planner. BISA will be following up this decision as we feel that the printed maps are a valuable resource for promoting the cycle network to new riders.
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While cycling struggles for its meagre funds the controversial upgrades of the Portrush/Magill and Fullarton/Cross intersections seem set to press on. BISA committee member Fay Patterson, wearing her NPSP council hat, queried the anticipated savings of 600 - 900 million dollars and how these figures are calculated.
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While we are working towards the archiving of this site there has been some interest indicated in setting up an alternative from one of the users, we will keep you posted on this development. It seems we are not the only hosts of such a site to call it a day, recently an announcement regarding the closure of Sydney Cyclist, Brisbane Cyclist and Melbourne Cyclist was made, the reasoning striking a chord with BISA's situation.
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From our Facebook page
Here are a few of our posts from the last month. Click on the photos to read item.
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Pedal Update is a newsletter of the Bicycle Institute of South Australia Inc., published monthly. The Bicycle Institute is incorporated in South Australia. Material published in Pedal Update is copyright unless otherwise stated. Articles and graphics may be copied and republished by non-profit organisations, provided the author and Pedal Update are given credit. When by lines are used, opinions published in Pedal Update are not necessarily those of the Bicycle Institute.
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