Elevated City Cycleway: a proposal for Perth City Perth is a city in metamorphosis. The three major developments currently underway (Foreshore, City link, and Riverside) will ensure increasing residential and working population density for years to come. With increased population density comes increased pressure on our transport infrastructure. While considerable effort has been spent improving rail, road and pedestrian traffic infrastructure, relatively little effort has gone towards encouraging bicycle use in the inner city. The nature of bicycle travel gives rise to a number of problems which dissuade most people from riding in the city.

The problems Bicycles are small and offer relatively little protection. The stop-start nature of city traffic is tiring. In order to maintain momentum, cyclists are inevitably tempted to ignore traffic signals (e.g. during pedestrian crossing cycles), raising safety issues. Riding on roads between moving and parked cars is unsafe, even with marked lanes. Bicycles move at an intermediate speed between cars and pedestrians, but with slower acceleration. Cyclists are forced to choose between: –Impeding car movement. –Dodging and weaving between pedestrians.

A solution Grade separation is desirable. A dedicated cycleway in the inner city which is separate from both road and pedestrian traffic means either elevated structures or tunnels. –Tunnels are expensive to build, interfere with future development, and remove much of the desirability of riding a bicycle. The current bicycle network is excellent for cyclists as far as the outskirts of the CBD, but once inside, the previously mentioned problems are encountered. A initiative to build an elevated cycleway connecting distributor routes would make for a landmark improvement to the inner city of Perth.

A historical perspective Horace Dobbins petitioned for and built the California cycleway during the bicycle craze of the early 1900s. Although this was later dismantled to build a freeway, this concept has surfaced repeatedly over intervening years as population densities have increased (See references). Most objections have understandably focused on the visual obstruction elevated structures can cause.

Elevated cycleways can be landmarks… but design is critical. Elegant structures can be functional and attractive. New cycleway bridge, Bayerstraße, Munich Baltic Millennium Bridge, Newcastle Carter Cycle bridge, Cambridge stationKurilpa Cycle/Pedestrian Bridge, Brisbane Railroad gardens, New York

A current day example in the Netherlands Almere (population 193,000) A planned city on reclaimed land, Almere has an entirely segregated cycleway (the “Spoorbaanpad”). This 12km dedicated path runs alongside the length of the elevated railway and is used by 21,000 cyclists/day. The Spoorbaanpad has right of way where it intersects with regular traffic. The Spoorbaanpad is seen here in front of the railway

Design The cycleway should have: –Frequent entry/exit ramps. –Places to park bikes – ie enough room to lock bikes to the sides in addition to cycle traffic. –Minimal supporting structure/overshadowing of roads below. And connect to major suburban bike routes. Estimated height would vary between the second and third stories as necessary. It should be vibrant to look at! Indicative concept only Exit Entry

Suggested alignment Cycleway Suggested main path alignment runs 2.7 km from the Hay St bridge over the Mitchell Freeway to Queens Gardens. A second axis could run along Barrack St for 1 km from the WA Museum to the Perth Waterfront development. Further spurs could connect to the Mount St pedestrian bridge, and along Bennet St to Wellington Square

Conclusion An elevated, cycleway would be a welcome addition to the current network of paths in the city, increasing the safety and amenity of all city residents. Not only would it take current cyclists off inner city streets, it would reduce the “subjective risk factor” of riding in the city (see safety.html) Many more people would ride to work, thereby reducing congestion. safety.html With good design, such an amenity would become a world- class tourist attraction.

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