City of Perth Cycle Plan 2029

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1 Bicycling Western Australia s response City of Perth Cycle Plan More People Cycling More Often

2 ABOUT BICYCLING WESTERN AUSTRALIA Bicycling Western Australia is a community based, not-for-profit organisation representing the interests of all bicycle riders - including children, families and commuters through to the serious road cyclist. With more than 10,000 members and friends, Bicycling Western Australia is the largest bicycling organisation in Western Australia. Our mission Our purpose More People Cycling More Often Bicycling Western Australia aims to improve the health and wellbeing of our community and promote cycling as an environmentally sustainable and healthy form of transport, recreation, sport and tourism through the engagement of government, industry and the community at all levels. Vision statement Western Australia s largest and most prominent cycling organisation with a strong and growing membership supported by cycling events, behaviour change programs and community initiatives that promote, advocate and encourage cycling in all its forms. Our objectives Getting more people cycling more often through participation in cycling events, campaigning and community initiatives; Improving the health of Western Australians and the community; and Providing serious fun for recreational cyclists. Bicycling Western Australia s response to the Page 1 of 6

3 INTRODUCTION Bicycling Western Australia congratulates the City of Perth on the work undertaken in developing the. The City of Perth s vision to be a more cycle-friendly city is welcomed and we are pleased that the City has recognised the positive impact bike riding has on the health, social, economic and environmental fabric of the community. Our response has considered the impact of the introduction of the plan on bike riders and we have included a number of areas of concern and recommendations for consideration by the City. The feedback provided in this document is designed to offer advice and provide assistance in the preparation of the final Cycle Plan document and we thank the City of Perth for enabling us to provide this input. STRATEGIC CYCLE NETWORK CLASSIFICATION The classification of the various routes throughout the city is welcomed and will hopefully help guide the City to continue to develop a truly integrated network that meets the requirements of all users. It is important to remember that the needs, skill level and confidence of one rider type can be quiet distinct from that of another. Perth CBD, by nature, will continue to attract an everincreasing number of transport commuter riders however many of the routes will also be utilised by the high intensity recreational cyclists (the roadies ) as well as the lower speed recreational riders. With the number of residents predicted to rise over the coming years, there will also be an increased number of local trips for transport. Figure 1 - The Four Rider Domains The network must be designed to take into consideration for each type of rider. We acknowledge the design principle of to-not through however it cannot be directly applied to the movement of pedestrians and bicycles particularly for local trips and commuters. Motor vehicle traffic can be discouraged from using the Perth CBD as a through route however bicycles and pedestrians need to be provided with safe and reasonably direct routes both to and through the City. By way of example, a commuter wanting to cycle from Victoria Park to their workplace in West Perth has no option but to ride through the City. Bicycling Western Australia s response to the Page 2 of 6

4 Similarly, a city resident may want to ride from their home in West Perth to meet friends in East Perth for a coffee or to shop and has no option but to ride through the city to reach their destination. Regional Routes: As outlined these routes are made up of Principal Shared Paths (PSP), Recreational Shared Paths (RSP) and Shared Paths. They each attract different types of riders and pedestrians and therefore need to be designed and maintained with this is mind, especially as the number of commuter riders will continue to rise. City Cycle Routes: We welcome the introduction of additional on-road cycling facilities provided they are installed in suitable areas where traffic volumes and speeds are appropriate. The use of profile line marking (rumble strips) or raised profiles will assist in making these facilities safer and increase the confidence of riders using these roads. The plan states dedicated cycle lanes in a number of forms. It is strongly recommended that the design and form of these facilities be consistent throughout the City to reduce the potential for confusion by riders, pedestrians and motorists. Integrated Cycling Routes: In some circumstances, integrated cycling is acceptable provided the number and speed of other vehicles is relatively low. The use of on-road signage should be encouraged to highlight to all road users that bicycles are encouraged on that particular route. Where possible the introduction of painted bike lanes should be considered. The City needs to be mindful of the placement of bike lanes in relation to on-street parking in both City Cycle and Integrated Cycle Routes as poor placement can increase the risk of doorings. Pedestrian Priority Zones: The introduction of these zones is welcomed and we congratulate the City for the inclusion of sensible low-speed cycling traffic through the Hay and Murray Street malls This will go some way to improving the East-West links across the City. A significant education and awareness campaign will need to be undertaken upon their introduction. STRATEGIC CYCLE NETWORK DESIGN It is essential that the network considers world best practice when designing the various elements of the network. Provision of infrastructure at intersections needs to be carefully considered. We would strongly recommend the introduction of bike-boxes and head-starts at signalised intersections to reduce to potential for conflict between bikes, motor vehicles and pedestrians, particularly on City Cycle Routes. Bicycling Western Australia s response to the Page 3 of 6

5 IMPLEMENTATION The Implementation Program provides the details of the projects to be undertaken as part of the plan and includes estimated costs. The monitoring of the progress of this program is essential to ensure the timeframes for the whole plan to extend beyond the stated periods. A steering committee/reference group, including cycling interests groups, should be established to monitor progress and make recommendations on variations to the implementation program. FUNDING The funding announcements made by the City are welcomed but may prove to be inadequate for the amount of work to be undertaken as outlined in the Implementation Plan. The City has acknowledged the financial impact that traffic congestion will have on the economy due to lost productivity, fuel consumption and poorer air quality. Research in both Australia and internationally consistently shows that investment in bicycle infrastructure has a positive benefit-cost ratio to the economy. An unambiguous policy of mainstreaming or positive provisioning should be adopted by the City to ensure cycle infrastructure projects are automatically included with other infrastructure upgrades and modifications to take advantage of the economies of scale. MONITORING The monitoring of the progress and success of the Cycle Plan is crucial to ensuring the success of the plan. The use of before and after statistics and bike counts will help to shape the future development of the network and provide evidence of the success, or otherwise, of the completed works. The Plan outlines suggested methods and sources of data collection and it should also include the collection of crash incidents and injury data to ensure that the plan is meeting the goal of providing a safe environment for all people including pedestrians and bike riders. More than just providing a summary of progress on a biennial basis, the City should consider creating a steering or review committee made up of the various stakeholders, including cycling interest groups, which can monitor the progress of the Plan and suggest changes that should be considered during its life. Bicycling Western Australia s response to the Page 4 of 6

6 FUTURE ACTIVITIES Bicycle Hire Schemes These schemes are been introduced to a number of cities across the world with the vast majority of them in cities with significantly larger populations (and tourism markets) than Perth. Bicycling Western Australia would support the concept of a bicycle hire scheme however the City must first ensure that a high quality bicycle network is in place before considering the introduction of such a scheme. Public End of Trip Facilities The availability of high quality end of trip facilities is a key factor in encouraging people to choose bike riding as a form of transport to and from work. Bicycling Western Australia s research indicates that people are generally supportive of the concept; they strongly prefer facilities to be located at their place of work and not at an external public facility. Riders want to be able to ride into their workplace, store their bicycle securely, shower and change and then enter directly to their office. Many office buildings already provide these facilities and more and more are choosing to upgrade. The City Planning Scheme 2 should be amended to mandate (not just encourage) new developments provide private end of trip facilities. Similarly, any change-of-use or redevelopment applications should require the installation of end of trip facilitates. In addition, the City should be actively encouraging and/or incentivising building owners to retrofit bike parking and facilities into existing buildings. These changes could be implemented now resulting in an almost immediate impact on the amount of end of trip facilities provided without the use of public money. BICYCLING WESTERN AUSTRALIA S - CONCERNS & RECOMMENDATIONS North-south links The proposed treatment of Barrack Street and the introduction of dedicated cycle lanes from Barrack Square to Wellington Street is to be applauded. This will become a major and safe route for many commuter riders. The City Cycle Route on Bennett Street is well placed to bring cycle traffic to and from East Perth. The map in Figure 2 shows this route continuing through Langley Park to Riverside Drive. Bennett Street currently terminates at Terrace Road. Recommendation: Terrace Road be classified as an Integrated Cycling Route to allow riders a safe access to the Riverside Drive shared path from either Plain Street or the Victoria Avenue shared path. Figure 2 in the Cycle Plan shows an Integrated Cycle Route travelling north from Mounts Bay Road along Mercantile Lane, traversing St Georges Terrace (across a median strip) and turning into King Street up to Wellington Street and beyond. This route makes for a number of difficult crossings through a number of non-signalised intersections. Bicycling Western Australia s response to the Page 5 of 6

7 Recommendation: Mount and Milligan Streets be upgraded to a City Cycle Route allowing cyclist to join the network from either the Freeway PSP (entering over the Mount Street shared zone bridge) or along Spring Street and can then travel along Milligan Street to Wellington Street. Signalised intersections should provide for bicycle priority. East-west links The Cycle Plan has failed to identify a safe and convenient route in an east-west direction. While Figure 2 shows the Riverside Drive shared path continuing across Elizabeth Quay it remains unclear how the proposed bridge will offer a safe and convenient route for riders. Early stage designs indicate that the area will be better suited to a Pedestrian Priority Zone classification. While riders will be able to take advantage of the proposed facilities on Barrack Street to travel north to avoid the area, an alternative east-west route is not shown. We remain concerned about the impact the redevelopment of this area will have on traffic movement particularly considering the high number of cyclists and pedestrians that already use this area. It remains unclear how cycling infrastructure will be incorporated into areas of the Elizabeth Quay project. Recommendation: Ensure Regional Routes or City Cycle Routes are included in the streets around Elizabeth Quay so that a safe and convenient east-west link is maintained. St Georges Terrace (between Barrack and Williams Street) is not suitable for bicycles given the high level of traffic and the number of buses along this section of road. Recommendation: Until there are significant changes to the traffic flow along this section of St Georges Terrace the route should be downgraded and removed from the cycle network. Murray & Hay Streets (both east and west of the malls) should be considered for upgrading to City Cycle Routes Timeframe The City of Perth Cycle Plan is scheduled to be fully implemented by 2029 a 17 year timeframe. Given the pressure on the network, the existing levels of congestion and projected numbers of new riders during this period it is recommended that the City will need to consider implementing as much of the network as soon as possible. While we fully appreciated the budget restrictions in place, the City has already acknowledged the substantial cost of inaction. Action now can only result in future savings for both the City and society as a whole. Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority projects The impact on cycling of the various Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (MRA) projects including City Link, Riverside and Elizabeth Quay is not yet clear. Recommendation: The City of Perth and cycling interest groups must continue to consult with the MRA to ensure that bike riding is given due consideration. The Cycle Plan will need to be revised to include any changes as a result of these projects. Bicycling Western Australia s response to the Page 6 of 6

8 Bicycling Western Australia (Inc) PO Box 8164 SUBIACO EAST WA 6008 TELEPHONE: (08) ABN: