Canberra's most prominent cycling pressure group has launched a campaign to persuade the ACT government to invest heavily in cycle-friendly and pedestrian-friendly routes.
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Pedal Power in the ACT wants last year's government draft plan for expansion to be turned into action.
"The ACT government is saying all the right things but we are questioning why there is no implementation plan," Simon Copland, the director of Pedal Power, said.
He wants existing cycle paths to be roughly doubled from the length currently existing or being built. He also wants a lot more "wombat crossings" which combine a zebra crossing with a speed bump.
Last year, the ACT government published a draft of its "Active Travel Plan" saying "reducing reliance on private cars is a key action".
"Walking, cycling and other forms of active travel are at the centre of our plans to make Canberra an even more livable and sustainable city," the proposal said.
But Mr Copland is worried because he says there are no concrete figures for either a timeline or costings in the plan. None have been published since.
Consultation closed on June 2, and the ACT government says it will produce a final proposal late this year.
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Pedal Power ACT's director declined to say how much public money should be spent.
But he said the ACT government spent $150 million on roads last year and "that kind of investment would have a huge impact on the Active Travel Plan".
He said cycling as a means of transport has further economic benefits in that it should improve the health of the population and so ease the burden on the health system. Cycling and walking also emit fewer pollutants, and that, he felt, should also ease pressure on the health system.
Apart from extending cycle and walking routes and footpaths, the lobby groups also want more spent on the maintenance of such paths.
Pedal Power says it has the support of a raft of community groups, including the Conservation Council ACT and Fyshwick Business Association.
The Village of Hall and District Progress Association, for example, backs the push for more cycle routes.
It wants "safe cycle and pedestrian access to be established" to the village on the edge of the ACT.
"The only cycling infrastructure that connects Hall to the major road is a very rudimentary track," the association's president, Robert Yallop, said.
That track "has never been suitable for anything other than mountain bikes and is unusable by other cyclists or casual walkers", he added.
Last month, Pedal Power fueled the debate on Canberra speed limits by calling for them to be cut to 30kmh on all suburban streets and town centres.
The pressure group is stepping up its campaign as publication of the ACT budget approaches. It's started a petition to try to get more spending on routes for "active travel", namely cycling and walking.
"By signing, participants will join a growing community of passionate cyclists and advocates, united in our pursuit of better active travel infrastructure for all," Mr Copland said.
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Steve Evans
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
