The Greens believe a significant test of Damon Thomas’ time as Lord Mayor will occur this Monday evening when the Hobart City Council considers plans to implement the Sandy Bay Pedestrian and Cycleway proposal.
A comprehensive report will be put before council recommending the first section of the cycleway – from Marieville Esplanade to the Casino – be started.
I believe that this is a go-slow approach for the project and many aldermen would sooner shelve it than see it built. The aim of the Council should be to endorse the cycleway and work towards its completion. This undeniably is of great benefit to Hobart in so many ways and the project should be implemented or as near to finished as possible.
What a perfect opportunity for the Lord Mayor Damon Thomas to make his mark on the project that would benefit the city, its residents, and provide cleaner transport options linking our growing university campuses.
Now is the time for decisive action. I don’t want this to drag on for as long as the Battery Point walkway issue has, without any resolution. Is the Lord Mayor as committed as the Greens to seeing major infrastructure projects actually completed?
By not advancing this safer road design, cyclists’ lives are put at unnecessary risk. A cycleway linking the city with Taroona has been considered for 20 years with significant money already spent. We have comprehensive designs with cycleway specialists SKM providing plans. There is strong popular support arising from Council’s most comprehensive process of consultation to date. This is not the time to go slowly: the time for action is now.
Much of the conceptual design for the cycleway has been undertaken, and the City should have further engineering work continued on other sections. This is critical if we are to attract federal funding. The Council has missed out previously on funding rounds with other projects because they have not been “shovel ready”. We do not want to miss out this time on such a beneficial connection through Sandy Bay and on to Taroona.
Looking tonthe future, I see it as an important link for university students and staff between the expanding city and Sandy Bay campuses and IMAS.
I call on other Aldermen to be bold rather than to hold back on this one. There is so much to gain for our city – safer cycling and walking, traffic calming, providing healthy transport options. With such a fantastic view over the Derwent, this will be a major tourist drawcard, and makes commuting by bicycle so much of a safer and real alternative.
It is possible that a handful of people who believe that car parking is jeopardised along the route may hold disproportionate sway over the Council’s Lord Mayor and his faction.
At the end of the day, this Council is here to make bold decisions, decisions that benefit our City as a whole. This is one such project which is set to improve Greater Hobart’s cycle network, and safety along Sandy Bay Road.
This is part of the integrated approach to transport. There is nothing for us to be afraid of, and we should advance this immediately.
