Demand for clearer cycling paths
Increased bicycle and pedestrian traffic throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a Wimmera cyclist to call for a greater focus on improving safety for all road users.
Horsham Cyclery business owner Damien Cook is calling on state and local governments to better link-up bike tracks and make clearer bike paths on roads in Horsham.
This comes after Mr Cook’s bike shop experienced a sharp rise in demand for bicycles.
He said his customers had also reported a dramatic increase in the number of people cycling or walking in the past couple of months.
“Bicycle demand is very high. We can’t match that supply with demand at the minute. It’s a real struggle,” he said.
“But it’s good to see people out there and having a go – we’ve got people telling us while on their daily rides they would be lucky to see two or three people, but are now seeing about 30 people,” he said.
Mr Cook said he believed the council and State Government could springboard off the community’s ‘refocus on health’ in the rural city and make riding safer for everyone. “Things could be a lot safer,” he said. “I know everything’s an expense, but I think we need to take a step back and look at all the views, opinions and ideas and see what’s going to work and be feasible for everyone.”
Mr Cook said the city needed clearer markings on the roads to better separate motorists and cyclists.
“Cyclists need to know where they can ride and where they can be,” he said.
“We have motorists come in saying they’ve clashed with cyclists and cyclists come in saying they’ve clashed with motorists – there’s no clear area where the riders can be.”
Horsham Rural City Council’s Draft Budget 2020-21 reveals proposed allocations of $429,000 to improve footpaths and cycle-ways as part of its capital works program.
Works include sealing bike paths, footpath rehabilitation, ‘disability strategy’ upgrade projects and works to extend bike tracks from a bike plan. The council forecasts these projects will be completed between October 2020 and April 2021.
Mayor Mark Radford said the council acknowledged that safety for pedestrians and cyclists needed improvement.
“There’s room for improvement in our main roads around town,” he said.
“To improve safety on the roads you need to have a good wide shoulder.
“We need good separation for cyclists – you’re only going to jump on your bike if you know you can ride to work safely.
“That’s what we want to do in the long term, to make it safer so people can make that conscious decision that if you live in Horsham you can ride to work.”
Advisory group
Cr Radford said the council would continue to improve safety on roads under direction from community-based group Bicycle Advisory Committee.
“The council has a progressive role at improving footpaths and cycling paths,” he said.
“The Bicycle Advisory Committee lobbies for ways to make it safer to ride to work, such as places to park a bike at the end of a ride and safety at intersections, which would include cycling routes.
“The council is keen to improve safety for cyclists.”
The council has started works to light up paths along the Wimmera River between Menadue Street and Anzac Centenary Bridge, including the Wotonga Basin.
Wimmera Health Care Group community health co-ordinator Janine Harfield said ‘safer streets’ was one of many elements to encourage people to get active.
“If we have an environment that’s conducive to getting out and about, we need lots of green spaces, additional footpaths, lighting and we need to feel safe as well,” she said.
She said as COVID-19 was forcing people to change their lifestyles, now was an ideal time to recalibrate to form healthier habits.
“It’s an opportunity to rethink and recalibrate our lives and to think about what is important to us and bring it back to the basics,” she said.
“I feel like that’s a lesson we could take from COVID-19. I really do hope people form habits from the past few months to keep being that little bit more active.”