Cycling in Sydney Australia
Boral cuts Prospect Canal cycleway, Optus has brekky for Epping Rd bikepath completion
Sydney cycleways - Optus good, Boral wrong message
The world is changing rapidly. Rising oil prices, impending carbon tax on transportation fuels, increasing road congestion, possible congestion charges, public transport overload, obesity crisis, diabetes epidemic.
And what does Boral do? Asks for (and gets from a dopey NSW government) an el cheapo road crossing on this popular cycleway, one of the few suitable for young kids because it is completely separated from the roads for a significant distance. The Boral wanted and NSW approved new cycleway chops a hole in the existing offroad cycleway substituting a pedestrian/cycle pelican crossing over a six lane road. Note that the road is related to a profitable land redevelopment of a quarry owned by ?????
Contrast the message Boral has sent out regarding how it see's it's interactions with the broader community with that sent out by Optus. Optus is sponsoring a breakfast to celebrate opening the Epping Road Cycleway.
http://www.advocacy.bikenorth.org.au...fastPoster.pdf
Optus, one of Australia's larger companies wants to support cycling in the city by staging a breakfast supporting the opening of the Epping Road cyclepath. The breakfast is open to all on Wednesday 23 July and is an overt statement of the good citizenship of Optus.
Boral, in contrast to the supportive attitude of Optus, is replacing an off road continuous cycleway (the Prospect canal cycleway) that the Boral development severs with a cheaper and lower quality road level crossing with push-button-and-wait stop lights. http://www.canalreserve.org/
Go figure
NSW - State of Confusion
The world is changing rapidly. Rising oil prices, impending carbon tax on transportation fuels, increasing road congestion, possible congestion charges, public transport overload, obesity crisis, diabetes epidemic.
And what does Boral do? Asks for (and gets from a dopey NSW government) an el cheapo road crossing on this popular cycleway, one of the few suitable for young kids because it is completely separated from the roads for a significant distance. The Boral wanted and NSW approved new cycleway chops a hole in the existing offroad cycleway substituting a pedestrian/cycle pelican crossing over a six lane road. Note that the road is related to a profitable land redevelopment of a quarry owned by ?????
Contrast the message Boral has sent out regarding how it see's it's interactions with the broader community with that sent out by Optus. Optus is sponsoring a breakfast to celebrate opening the Epping Road Cycleway.
http://www.advocacy.bikenorth.org.au...fastPoster.pdf
Optus, one of Australia's larger companies wants to support cycling in the city by staging a breakfast supporting the opening of the Epping Road cyclepath. The breakfast is open to all on Wednesday 23 July and is an overt statement of the good citizenship of Optus.
Boral, in contrast to the supportive attitude of Optus, is replacing an off road continuous cycleway (the Prospect canal cycleway) that the Boral development severs with a cheaper and lower quality road level crossing with push-button-and-wait stop lights. http://www.canalreserve.org/
Go figure
NSW - State of Confusion
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rob on -
so is the prospect canal rideable now? i am planning to go out this saturday
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Permalink Reply by Neil & Alexander on -
Unless there's been another closure somewhere else (something we've been caught by in another discussion elsewhere on this site!) the canal path is ridable all the way from Guildford to the exit at Hyland Rd, beyond which is the Boral debacle. If you want to go to Prospect Res., there is an all off-road route to bring you in via the western side but it is much longer, complicated and hilly. Briefly, take Hyland to the T-way cyclepath following that along Widemere and to Victoria St, Canley Vale Rd, Horsley Dr. West on Horsley's cycle path carefully crossing Cowpasture Rd into Pimelea picnic ground and take paths uphill to find the bridge over the canal. Turn right on the path on the other side and follow it up hill, down dale and across the odd busy road to Prospect Reservoir. Have fun!
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Permalink Reply by Neil & Alexander on
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Oh, and if you don't want to go home the same way, it is possible to head north out of Prospect Res. The section of Reconciliation Dr connecting to Prospect Hwy across the M4 and GWH is not very bicycle friendly but an off-road path starts on the left at Harrod St, heading towards but not all the way to Blacktown.
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Permalink Reply by mich rolling on -
From Another Place (bicycles.net.au)
Roozendahl and Watkins are still trying to figure out why cyclists are objecting to a quality offroad cyclepath on the old Prospect Canal being replaced by a signallized crossing of a six lane highway servicing a private land development by Boral.
Meanwhile, in other states which are not suffering the confusion typical of NSW:
South Australia
Yeahhhyyy! Good one Ministers. SA Ministers Conlon and Zollo have reneged on their reneging on including a shared cycle/pedestrian cycleway over their new South Road super road overpass. An overpass will now be built so that cyclists will not have to use a stop light at a road level crossing to cross the road.
http://www.ministers.sa.gov.au/news.php?id=3474&page=1
Victoria
At last - Resistance by the local council to building a link between the Darebin Creek and Main Yarra cycleways has led to the project being 'called in' by the planning arbiter VCAT. It is possible that planning consent will to build the link will be issued late 2008 or early 2009.
http://bv.com.au/change-the-world/11253/
Queensland
Cyclists and peds are getting a new river crossing (Tank St pedestrian/cycle bridge), a new freeway crossing (Toowong over the Western Freeway), two proper cycleways on new road river bridges and connects including nearly 30km of cycleway (Hale St bridge and Gateway Bridge) and have recently got a new cycle tunnel under busy College Road (November 2007) and over Ipswich Road alongside the southern freeway near Princess Alexandra Hospital.
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Permalink Reply by Al on -
My email to Roozendahl actually got a reply. Doesn't say much about what they're planning for the replacement crossing though ("exploring,..., options" - what, at this late stage after the approvals have all been handed out?):
"Thank you for your e-mail to the Minister of Roads regarding the impact of construction works by Boral Pty Ltd on the Lower Prospect Canal Cycleway. The Minister has asked me to reply on his behalf.
I am advised that these works are part of the Greystanes Estate Southern Employment Lands redevelopment of the Prospect Quarry site. I understand that Boral construction works at this site are scheduled to be completed by October 2008.
I note the concerns expressed by cyclists and pedestrians regarding current detour arrangements along the Lower Prospect Canal Cycleway and the proposed permanent replacement route.
I am advised the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) has consulted with Holroyd City Council. Boral and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that temporary diversion facilities for users of the Lower Prospect Canal Cycleway are improved as a matter of urgency.
I can now confirm that, following these consultations, the RTA will fund the urgent construction of a link between the eastern point of closure of the Lower Prospect Canal Cycleway and the existing off-road cycleway adjacent to Silverthorne Drive in Pemulwuy.
Along with improvements to diversion sinage and other necessary traffic management actions this link will significantly improve existing conditions for local cyclists and pedestrians. The new link will enable dxetouring cyclists to bypass Greystanes Road and use a relatively low-traffic route to Prospect. I am advised that the RTa and Council are aiming for the new link to be constructed by the end of July 2008.
I am also advised the RTA is exploring, with Boral, options for the permanent reconnection of the Lower Prospect Cycleway.
Should you require further information, please contact the RTA's Transport Planning Manager, Matt Faber on 8849 2237.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Daley MP
Parliamemtary Secretary for Roads"
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