Saturday, June 14, 2008

A Bridge Too Far?

Tribunal poised to act on bike paths' missing link
After 19 years of pressure from cycling groups, the (Victorian) State Government is poised to override local opposition to a proposed 1.8-kilometre bike path connecting the Darebin Creek bike route with the Yarra River main trail.

Lobbyists predict that about 4000 cyclists a day would use the $4million path.

Opposition to the bike path has come from:
  • Alphington Grammar School (compulsory land acquisition)
  • Latrobe golf course (compulsory land acquisition, questions who would be liable in cases of injury)
  • Kew Local Residents (cyclists would damage parks, path would cut through a dog-walking area)
  • Friends of Willsmere Park and Kew Billabong (bridge over Yarra would hurt wildlife and ruin the billabong)

On the plus side for the bike path:
  • Students get a safer route to school
  • reduction in damage to native plant life caused by dog poo and random walkers
  • fewer native animals scared off by dogs
  • cycling in general is encouraged by completing the route

Maybe the golfers will have to take a bit more care when hitting their little balls to avoid hitting cyclists. The cyclists are already on the lookout for people wandering across their path.

1 comments:

cileo said...

On the affirmative side, there's support from these groups: Alphington Primary School Council, Boroondara Bicycle User Group, Boroondara Bushwalkers, Darebin Creek Management Committee, Darebin Bicycle User Group, Darebin Parklands Association, Friends of Darebin Creek, Kew High School, South Alphington & Fairfield Civic Association, Yarra Bicycle User Group.

More on the BBUG site.