State implored to boost cycling corridor budget

NOT-FOR-PROFIT organisation Bike Bendigo has joined more than 30 groups around Victoria in calling for the state government to allocate 5 per cent of its transport budget to strategic cycling corridors.

Strategic cycling corridors are typically a network of interconnecting bike routes that allow people to ride safely to schools, train stations, shops and workplaces.

Bike Bendigo president Nicola Dunnicliff-Wells has encouraged residents to get involved in the campaign.

“As Bendigo’s population is projected to grow even more rapidly, we need to build infrastructure now that gives people real choice about how they get around safely and easily,” she said.

“People should have the option to use healthy, inexpensive transport modes like walking and cycling for some of their weekly trips.”

According to Dunnicliff-Wells, while there are some good tracks and trails away from traffic in Bendigo, the bike network still has significant gaps.

“Plenty of people would like to take the bike for local trips, whether its kids riding to school, riding to work a few days each week, or to the shops or local sporting field, but those gaps in the bike network mean they drive instead,” she said.

“The knock-on effect of this lack of choice is more congested roads, longer commute times, less parking availability, more pollution and the increased cost of maintaining roads that carry more traffic.

“A cycling network that connects people to their destinations and is separated and protected from motorised traffic would make going by bike a viable option for most Bendigonians.”

A government spokesperson said the government understands the important role that safe and accessible cycling infrastructure plays in supporting community health, reducing congestion and improving local amenity.

“We work closely with local governments to improve active transport options across Victoria, and have contributed more than $9m towards key cycling corridor projects in Bendigo in recent years,” the spokesperson said.

Further information provided by the Department of Transport and Planning said the government had recently delivered safety and accessibility improvements for cyclists and pedestrians using McCrae Street and had also provided $4m towards the City of Greater Bendigo’s cycling corridor.

A further $5m was contributed to construct the 4.4km Bendigo Low Line shared pathway.

Bike Bendigo is encouraging anyone who wants to be able to ride safely in Bendigo to write to their local member of parliament.

Visit the Bicycle Network website to find out how.