According to a media release from the Greens, only 9 per cent of the Strategy’s priority bike paths have been completed so far. “At that rate we would not have met our local bike targets until 2039,” stated Councillor Sylvie Ellsmore.
In a move to rectify this situation, the Council voted to include an additional $200,000 in the annual budget to build the new pike paths, allocating a total of $510,000 or 2 per cent of infrastructure spending. Although 2 per cent of the Council’s infrastructure budget appears to be a modest figure, according to Greens politician Jenny Leong, “the increase shows the positive effects of years of sustained campaigning by local residents and the Greens for better cycling infrastructure.”
This is crucial because the Marrickville Council area has the second largest number of commuter cyclists of any Council area in NSW. The City of Sydney, which has the largest number of commuter cyclists, currently spends over 10 per cent of its capital budget on bike paths.
Whilst it is certainly crucial to upgrade local roads and footpaths, bike paths have been overlooked for years, leading to a $7 million funding shortfall for the priority bike paths in the Marrickville Council area (as estimated in the Greens media release from June 27).
Councils from all around Sydney are gradually realising that funding bike paths can lower injury rates for cyclists and reduce traffic congestion and pollution. Hence Marrickville Council has agreed to consider opportunities for new bike paths in the $1.35 million per annum Connecting Marrickville project.
Marrickville Council also offers free city cycle confidence courses to novice riders and regular riders alike.
