Transition Hobsons Bay For people who like having fun building local resilience and a better future

Here's an interesting article on cycling uptake, related to gender and also to the economics of what makes cycling practical. Enjoy :-)

http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-06-20-bicyclings-gender-gap-its-the-economy-stupid

Just on cycling in Hobsons Bay.  It's great HBCC is performing so well, but as a casual cyclist I still see lots of problems.  My biggest beef is Maddox Road, which should be a main entry point to the Bayside Track for Newport residents.  There's a marked bike path on Maddox Road, but it's always full of parked trucks and cars, forcing the cyclist onto the busy road.  If there's no solution to this "parking track" I think HBCC needs to use the green verge to build a real bike track.  I can imagine that would be way too expensive, but the only other way is to restrict parking to one side and have a two way bike path on the other.  Is there anyone else with this particular beef??

I'd love there to be a good bike path there on Maddox Road. As you say, it's by far the best access from Altona East and Newport to the Bayside Trail. I've always been quite a confident rider (read: young and reckless!) and not bothered by trucks and traffic, but now that I'm going to be riding with children I'm much more conscious about that!

Bicycle Network (formaerly BV) have released an overview of Hobsons Bay BikeScope (I wonder if HBCC would make the whole report available to residents on request?):

http://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/general/bike-futures/93687/15 May 2012.

The Hobsons Bay BikeScope Survey has been submitted to council. Here is an overview of the findings:

In Hobsons Bay, recreational riding (High (Intensity Recreation) is the most popular type of riding. There is an opportunity for the City of Hobsons Bay to work towards enabling more transport trips to be completed by bike, including High Intensity Transport (e.g. commuting).

According to respondents, there is room for improvement in the on-road riding environment in particular - especially along routes such as Douglas Parade, Koroit Creek Road, Millers Road and Melbourne Road. On some routes, there may be a need for more on-road separation or protection. Bicycle Network Victoria has suggested that this may comprise a mix of the below separation techniques:
• Kerbside on raised pavement
• Co-located footpath and bike path
• On-road physical separation structure

Respondents identified the Federation Trail as the shared off-road path in most need of improvement. However, generally the shared off-road trails in the City of Hobsons Bay are well received and utilised by riders. These and connections to them are also important to "non-riders".

According to respondents, there is a need for more bicycle parking to be provided at local destinations. This is particularly important in terms of encouraging Low Intensity Transport trips (e.g. riding to the shops).

Thank you to all people who responded to the Hobsons Bat BikeScope Survey, together we will get More People Cycling More Often.

Following on from Bicycle Network's recently released overview of Hobsons Bay BikeScope (mentioned above), it was good to see that the bike trail through Westgate Park is once again open to cyclists!

Re bike paths. I've been working with 'Friends of Lower Kororoit Creek' helping plant and restore what is left of this waterway.  The driving force behind this group is Geoff Mitchelmore (who is in his 70's). He  tells me he cannot get Hobsons Bay to support a link from the coast trail to the path which currently starts at Barnes Rd (created by the Friends) linking to Federation Trail( Nth to sunshine etc). The walkway/bike path is completed and ready to go but needs a connection to Cherry Lake and hence the bay. You can see the work done by going to Barnes Rd bridge. Its a bit unbelievable that the trail is there but no-one uses it. We now concentrate on planting north of the freeway because that is where we get support from Council.  

Peter,

Hobsons Bay Council is in the process of developing their Planning Scheme Ammendment C87, An Introduction To An Environmental Significance Overlay (ESO), which is for the Public Park Recreation Zone (PPRZ) along the Kororoit Ck. Corridore.

My understanding is that the Kororoit Ck. Trail may be completed by the City of Hobsons Bay in 10 years plus, allowing 4 more years for difficulty gaining funding may result in a completion date of 2026.

Brimbank and Wyndham are supposed to be spending about $700,000 this year, acording local media reports, to connect the Kororoit Ck. Trail to the Federation Trail.

If you want a copy of the Kororoit Ck. Master Plan, I can E-mail it to you as a 2MB attachment.

Regards

Noel