Hi Folks,

About 2 weeks ago PA/E Council officers provided the PortBUG Committee with an opportunity to review and comment (on a confidential basis) on Council’s new draft 5-year Walking & Cycling Plan. We only had a few days to read the draft and comment, but we managed to provide Council with a reasonably comprehensive 14-page response!

There is a great deal in the new Plan that is positive and indeed, that incorporates recommendations we’ve made previously. However we felt compelled to strongly express a number of concerns, focussed principally on:

• some methodological weaknesses & an insufficient data provision
• significant omissions from the recommended priorities
• an excessive focus on main-road bike lanes with insufficient consideration of alternatives
• insufficient focus on functional network connectivity
• lack of focus on effective community engagement & participation.

We understand that a revised draft will go to Councillors at their May or June meeting for ratification and will then be made available for community consultation & comment!

The PortBUG looks forward to participating further in this important process & we’ll do everything we can to ensure forum members have the opportunity to do so as well!

Your PortBUG Committee.