CAIRNS BIKEWAY STRATEGY 1998

The meeting scheduled for 25th November 1998 was cancelled.

30th September 1998

MEETING:

  • The strategy review is nearly finalised and the overall responsibility for the strategy should be completed within a month.

  • Plans for CCC Capital Works:- 1. Ragnar/Talisman Cl foot bridge, restrict motor bikes but not wheel chairs. 2. Chataway St closure, suggested that an 0n-site inspection with users takes place. Design will determine if cyclists ride through to the road or onto the foot path. 3. Brinsmead Shopping Plaza, there is a holdup in the plans for the path connection from the new foot bridge to the shops. Land tenure and funding may be the reasons.

  • Bicycle Parking:- 1. CBUG presented the design for a bike parking device that attaches to parking metres that was obtained from the Internet. 2. CBUG requested that Stockland Shopping Centre be required to provide bicycle parking rails.

  • Ride to Work Day:- CBUG expressed their appreciation to Councillor Fran Lindsay.

  • Roundabout, Kingsford St/Swallow St:- Queensland Transport, Road Safety, reported that gardens in centre of roundabout restrict driver's view of pedestrian crossing near Balaclava School. The council will be requested to remove the gardens and replace with grass.

  • Top 10 Blackspots in Cairns for cyclists' accidents:- presented to meeting. Reported by road safety that the road toll throughout Queensland had decreased. Council to investigate ways to put this data into the GIS system.

  • End of trip facilities:- Section 4.4 of the Strategy should be strengthened to make "end of trip facilities a requirement. This should be resolved before the review is finalised.

  • Safety Audits:- It was also suggested that "safety audits" be included in the strategy review.

    4th September 1998

    CAIRNS BIKEWAY STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION WORKING GROUP:

    The next meeting will be held at the new Council Chambers on Wednesday 30th September 1998. This will be a momentous occasion. A shift of responsibility for the strategy will occur from Culture and Lifestyle Services to "Infrastructure". This will enable our "cyclists' road and path reports" to have direct access to the staff who are responsible for providing bicycle facilities on and off roads. Culture and Lifestyle Services and in particular Sport and Recreation will still play an important roll on the working group.

    August 1998

    ALTERNATE TRANSPORT EXPERTS: This is what we need especially in all our local governments. A full time position for an alternate transport expert.
    Education; This skill could be a specialist university course in conjuncion with an engineering degree. More emphasis is needed in formal education on the provision of transport services to:- CYCLISTS; PEDESTRIANS; PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS; PUBLIC TRANSPORT; DUAL-MODE TRANSPORT(Trains/Buses and bikes); SPORTS PEOPLE; etc.
    Employment; Such a person would have so much work to do that it would not be difficult to draw up a job description.
    Funding; With governments at all three levels concerned about the environment, health, cost of increasing traffic, pollution etc, an expert is required to co-ordinate projects at a local level. The new National Strategic Bicycle Plan is one such program that will need to fund bicycle facilities right across Australia. Millions of dollars will be needed to kick along the bikeway strategies already existing and to kick start strategies in all local governments without one. This funding will not be efficiently used without the expert direction from suitably qualified and experienced staff.
    This is what we need; We need a full time "bike officer" but a full time "alternate transport expert" would be even better. The Cairns City Council is about to move into its brand new chambers. There will be a reorganisation of staff and all that that entails. The Cairns Bikeway Strategy may be administered from a different department. This would be a good time for the council to appoint a FULL TIME "bike officer" or "alternate transport expert".

    29th July 1998

    CAIRNS BIKEWAY STRATEGY WORKING GROUP: Meeting, 29th July 1998 has been postponed. Council staff will be moving into their new Council Chambers over the next couple of months. Also a restructuring of Council staff is taking place. This may see a different department responsible for administering the Cairns Bikeway Strategy. Will this mean that we will get a new "Bike Officer" also? Our present "bike officer", Verda Clayton has done a very commendable job considering the amount of time she has had available in her busy schedule of other duties within Sport and Recreation. We now need a FULL TIME "BIKE OFFICER".

    LOOKING TO THE FUTURE: In the last two days, two cyclists have made the same suggestion. Construct sealed shoulders on the Capt Cook Highway all the way to Port Douglas. We thought that getting 5 kms of shoulders on the Capt Cook Hwy just north of Cairns to the Barron River Bridge was a miracle. With the advent of the National Bicycle Strategy, the State Cycle Committee and more works for the Cairns Bikeway Strategy by the Cairns City Council, why not get wheels really spinning and a lot of heads too. If our leaders are really concerned about people's health, lifestyle, environment and traffic congestion, then this is the way to save money and achieve our goals at the same time.

    TRY THIS: Instead of duplicating the highway to four lanes, construct road shoulders instead. Look at the billions of $s saved already. These funds could be spent promoting the Capt Cook Highway as a "Demonstration Project".

    Road shoulders do three things:- 1. Maintain the carriageway which will last longer. More money saved. 2. Make highways safer for motor vehicles. More lives saved 3. Create space for cyclists. Reduce congestion, healthier people. Make money with cycling ecotourism and sport.

    This is the VISION. Re-cycle our roads, reclaim our roads, reinvent the wheel if necessary, but let's DO IT.

    6th July 1998

    The meeting of the Bikeway Strategy Working Group was held on 27th May 1998. The Cairns Bikeway Strategy has been reviewed and stream lined. Section 5.8 is now called "Council's Bikeway Recurrent Budget Program" which will action lane marking, bicycle parking and other projects such as minor paths. A new Section 5.9 is now called Annual Capital Works. Items 1-3 are expected to be actioned in the coming year. Details can be viewed on the Works Program 1998.

  • CBUG is hopeful that funds will be forthcoming for the shoulder sealing program, funded through the Council's road budget. On-road works and off-road works need to be actioned concurrently to achieve the safe and efficient bikeway network.
  • CBUG has made a plea to the State Cycle Committee for state funds to assist local government.
  • CBUG will request that the National Bicycle Strategy will provide funds for grass roots action of Bikeway Strategies all over Australia.

  • ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT MUST PROVIDE SAFE AND EFFICIENT TRAVEL FOR ALL MODES OF TRAFFIC.
    What is traffic? The answer is in the Queensland Traffic Act:-

  • "Traffic" Includes the use by any person of any road or off street regulated parking area, or the presence therein or thereon of any person, vehicle, tram, train, animal, or other movable article or thing whatsoever.

  • It is a BASIC HUMAN RIGHT to be able to make one's way from A to B by what ever means a person has available.

  • Bicycle transport is an ESSENTIAL SERVICE that provides facilities not only for cyclists but also for other means of non-motorised transport such as pedestrians, wheel chairs, roller blades and tricycles.

    11th May 1998

    The meeting of the Bikeway Strategy Working Group scheduled for 25th March 1998 has been postponed to the 22nd April 1998.

    The meeting of the Bikeway Strategy Working Group scheduled for 22nd April 1998 has been postponed to the 27th May 1998.

    There is more progress with the Cairns Bikeway Strategy:-

  • Road shoulders at Sheridan St, Cairns North and the Capt Cook Hwy to the Barron River bridge have been completed. (Federal and State governments)
  • The Brindsmead Shopping Plaza foot bridges and paths are completed except for the last section of path to the shops. (Cairns City Council)
  • Bike lanes will be constructed on Mill Rd in conjunction with the road upgrade. (Cairns City Council)
  • Traffic lights at Gordonvale are working at the Bruce Hwy and Riverstone Rd. (Main Roads)

    24th February 1998

    There is definitely progress with the Cairns Bikeway Strategy. Works that are happening right now are:-

  • Brinsmead Shopping Plaza, foot bridges and bike paths.
  • Paths and road shoulders, new road works, Edmonton, Redlynch, Brindsmead/Kamerunga Rd.
  • Underpass, Reed Rd.
  • Land requisition, path to Crystal Cascades.
  • 1998 sometime, Shoulders, Sheridan St, adjacent to Foxwood.
  • James St, median crossing, completed.
  • Lane marking, local roads.

    Councillors embark on a bike inspection

    Re-cycle Our Roads - 18th November 1996

    GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS
    NEWS ______ NEWS ______ NEWS ______ NEWS ______ NEWS ______ NEWS ______ NEWS

    21st January 1998

    The second meeting of the "strategy review" has recommended:-

  • Delete the five year plan.
  • Delete the estimate of $100,000 per year, Council's Capital Works Budget for bikeways.
  • Create data bases for works such as shoulder sealing, line marking, bicycle parking.
  • An amount will be allocated annually for bicycle parking.
  • An amount will be allocated to develop a bicycle parking plan for the CBD.
  • Works to be listed with the Council's Capital Works budget have been prioritised and will be implemented as the budget allows.

    Comment:

  • It has been necessary to remove the $100,000 per year estimate because works were not assessed and costed realistically.
  • The five year plan has been replaced by a prioritization of works.
  • Only one of the capital works in the proposed plan has been implemented and that was funded by the school safe program.
  • Funding applications for projects documented for Council's capital works, now need to be submitted to Council and supported by relevant information and documents. Our Councillors are then given the opportunity to approve the implementation of each project on its merit.

    Home