Last week PortBUG met with transport staff from PAE Council for a couple of hours & did a bit of a ‘walk around’ survey of the Port CBD to share experiences & ideas aimed at improving access & convenience for bicycle users, pedestrians & those using mobility devices. Our discussion focused on:

• access to the Port CBD (shops, services, supermarkets, library etc)
• the transition of the Outer Harbor Greenway (OHG) from Lipson St through to the Birkenhead Bridge & Semaphore Rd.

In particular we looked at potential routes for taking Greenway users:

• on a far more direct & efficient route through the waterfront precinct &…
• directly into the Port CBD as well!

This is because there are 2 cohorts using the Greenway – commuters who need a direct & efficient pathway past the CBD, and others who want access to shops & services in the CBD. Council staff were clearly interested in what we had to say & had been reviewing these issues themselves. 

Here’s a brief summary of what we looked at & discussed:

• the perennial challenge of heavy vehicles & ‘rat-running’ traffic on the OHG on Lipson St & possibilities for increasing safety & access to the Port CBD & waterfront. 
• alternative routes to take the Greenway off Lipson St south & avoid the uncontrolled crossing at Commercial Rd (including possible routes via Butler & Kyle Streets across to Lighthouse Square) 
• making better use of a direct east-west route along Divett & Nile Streets
• improving the current pretty dreadful linking pathway between the crossings on Nelson St (adjacent to the Birkenhead Bridge) & Nile St
• an improved pathway along Nelson St & across Commercial Rd, into the Port CBD
• a new ‘scramble’ pedestrian crossing on Quebec next to Farmer Joes
• making better use of the wide pavement opposite the Port Mall car park between Quebec St & the Dale St pedestrian crossings
• improved connections to the Port CBD for residents living to the west.

Finally we had a close look at the Cedar-Woods housing development on the northern side of the Port River along Jenkins St & Semaphore Rd. We pointed out the obvious impact on Greenway users, the new hazards that cyclists & others faced in using the new ‘detour’ along the Nelson St footpath & what might be required to improve the situation over the 2-year closure of Jenkins St. 

As we’ve said, this ‘walk around’ was a very useful exercise & we hope to repeat it later in the year. We also mentioned to staff that we now had several BUG ‘field agents’ to improve our focus on theeastern sector of the PAE Council area. Staff outlined a number of initiatives underway along Folland Ave & elsewhere. Expect to see news of this soon!