The draft PA/E Bike Plan.

1.  Your Chance to Comment! The Port Adelaide/Enfield Council’s new draft Local Area Bike Plan is now available for your comment, with submissions closing on Monday March 2^nd. At about 150 pages it’s a big read, but the main points of interest to everyday bicycle users will probably be the proposed bike network map on page 45 (low-res above, link to hi-res map here) and the sections detailing the proposed Network between pages 45 and 82.

The PortBUG encourages you to take a look at the draft, particularly those parts of the Network of most relevance to you ( and your family’s) day-to-day bicycle use or transport needs. Send any comments you may have to Kerry and Shaun at PA/E Council. Or send comments directly to your BUG – we will include them in the submission we are putting together!

A key point we will make is the principle that the identification and development of bicycle routes should be informed by consultation with everyday bicycle users. We believe that the Network Plan needs to take into account input from everyday bicycle users across the PA/E Council area when identifying and prioritising bicycle routes! To this end the PortBUG will be seeking an ongoing process of ‘route finding’, allowing residents to nominate cycling routes important to them and identify the problems they encounter day-to-day. If you would like to see your cycling needs included in PortBUG’s submission, please send them to our working group asap. Point form is fine!

All of the submissions we have provided to the consultants and Council thus far can be found here along with a link to a large-scale pdf map of the proposed network which you can download to your computer and review at ‘street-level’ detail if needed.

2.  Coast Park Bikeway Planning:  Recently the City of Charles Sturt contacted all parties (including PortBUG) involved in the Coast Park Reference Group over the past 18 months, proposing that the work of the Reference Group now conclude with a Coast Park Report to be issued on the 23^rd February. The PortBUG has provided the Council with a brief response. You can read the BUG’s submissions at our web site along with those of other’s involved in the Reference Group with links to relevant documents, including the PortBUG’s initial submission (Oct. 2013).

The new Mayor and many of the new Councillors at the City of Charles Sturt are dealing with the completion of the Coast Park for the first time. The PortBUG hopes that they do so with commitment and imagination and understand the extraordinary value and potential of this key community asset, not just now but for generations to come!