The PA/E Bike Plan: Rushing to the Finish!

As readers may be aware the Port Adelaide/Enfield Bike Plan 2015-20 still has a couple of years left to run. Overall it is an ambitious program of works ranging from major new ‘A to B’ bikeways through to a myriad of smaller ‘connections’, all aimed at improving general connectivity and continuity for bicycle users.

Council officers have worked pretty hard to address the sometimes overwhelming scope of The Plan and we congratulate them on their efforts. As we approach the last 2 years of implementation the PortBUG has commenced an independent review of:

• what’s been achieved thus far
• what might still be completed over the next 2 years to 2020 and…
• where anything left uncompleted will leave us.

Completed Network Improvements:  Completed improvements to the Bike Network include:

• establishing and completing the Outer Harbour Greenway, particularly the northern section from Birkenhead through to Outer Harbour
• improving general connectivity throughout the Port Adelaide/Enfield area, including along the Gawler Greenway & the Levels Bikeway
• improved on & off-road facilities on St Vincent Street and elsewhere through the Port CBD
• improving off-road bicycle access along Semaphore Road
• improvements to the Coastal Park Bikeway (including resolution of problems associated with The Palais at Semaphore).

Current:  Before the end of the current financial year we hope to see:

• 

  New Causeway Rd Bikeways…

  commencement of new off-road bikeways along Causeway Road (a busy heavy transport route)

• a start on the redevelopment of Hart Street with reduced traffic lanes and much improved provision for pedestrian and bicycle safety (this being mainly a DPTI project)
• significant work completed for the new bike routes identified in the Rosewater LATM
• key works on the East-West Connector route from Rosewater through The Parks to South Road
• the opening of the Outer Harbour Greenway, particularly the sections between Queen Street, Croydon and the Adelaide Parklands.

New Challenges: Some new challenges have arisen over the last 2 years which the PortBUG has sought to address, a number of them outside the scope of The Plan. These include:

• 

  Proposed Port Dock Rail Station.

  issues arising from construction of the Port Dock Rail Station and the Starfish housing development at Docks 1 and 2 around the eastern end of the Inner Harbour

• the construction of the Northern Connector Bikeway and its connectivity with other new and established bikeways in the area
• the severance of the Mersey Road Bikeway by the expansion of the SubCorp work area at Taperoo
• the many issues involving Active Transport access to the Port’s CBD.

The 2018-919 Financial Year:  Following extensive discussions, the PA/E Council has provided the BUG with a summary of proposed works for the 2018/19 financial year. These include:

• construction of an off-road path on the OHG at Mead Stbetween Semaphore Rd & Shorney St (providing a safer transition from the Semaphore Rd pathways to the Mead Street traffic lanes)
• 

  Earthwrap signage on the Coastal Way.

  installation of ‘Earthwrap’ surface advisory signage on the Coast Park bikeway

• provision of a median refuge on the Enfield East-West route at Main North Road (Warwick and Barton Streets)
• installation of sharrows on the Gawler Greenway at Pym Street
• installation of sharrows on the OHG route through the wharf area at Port Adelaide – between Nelson and McLaren Streets
• installation of sharrows and a new pathway at Osmond St, Gilles Plains.
• provision of pathways & kerbside ramps to link the OHG across Lady Ruthven Drv to the Coast Park at Flaminia Street, North Haven
• improved pathways and ramp facilities on the Mersey Road Bikeway at Furniss Crt & Mascotte St, Osborne
• provision of a significant new bikeway linkage – the ‘Coopers Link’ (see below)– alongside Regency Road, connecting the East-West Connector (along South Road) to the Gawler Greenway Route at Naweena Road (see below).

‘Unmade’ Ottoway Path – Gillman rail reserve.

Incomplete:  There are many items in The Plan that have not yet been addressed. These include:

• major improvements required to off-road bikeways along Sudholz Road, Hillcrest and elsewhere along main roads in the eastern Council Area
• resolution of safe bicycle access along major routes such as the Port Expressway and The Grand Trunkway at Gillman
• completion of the Gawler Greenway to at least Mawson Lakes
• establishing a new Greenway through the Gillman rail yards to Ottoway.

The PortBUG hopes to have incomplete aspects of The Plan clearly identified prior to its time ‘running out’ in 2020 so that we are in the best position to work towards a new Bike Plan for the new decade!