Bike lobby rubbishes 'piecemeal' funds
The WA Government has promised to spend nearly $40 million on bike infrastructure over the next four years but cycling groups say it is drastically short of what is needed to make bike riding in WA safe and appealing.
Transport Minister Dean Nalder confirmed the $40 million commitment when he announced $2.7 million for 53 bike projects in 33 local government areas this year.
Mr Nalder said the money would build 22.5km of new bike paths. Fourteen of the projects were part of the Connecting Schools grant program.
But Bicycle Transport Alliance chief executive Heinrich Benz described the funding as "small fry and piecemeal".
He said it was unlikely to make significant changes to the way people travelled.
"While many of these projects will undoubtedly make small positive differences in local communities, overall this level of funding is still woefully low," he said. "We're talking about less than 30km of bike paths and lanes across the whole of WA.
"The Government's plan to spend nearly $40 million on bike infrastructure over the next four years is half-hearted and insufficient if the goal is really to get people riding.
"If the Government is serious about addressing congestion, easing parking pressure and encouraging short local trips by bike, it should be committing at least $30 million each year for the next five years for proper, targeted bicycle infrastructure."
Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren said the funding was "simply not enough to meet demand".
"There are numerous short trips that more adults and children would take by bike if they felt safer and this is why a bolder approach to funding cycle ways is necessary," she said.
"Perth would become a world-class cycling city by allocating 3 per cent of our State transport budget to bike infrastructure and planning.
"Cycling was allocated just 1.23 per cent of this year's total State transport budget.
"Given we have seen, and continue to see, a steady increase in people wanting to cycle in WA, this is a sector that must be taken more seriously."
According to Mr Nalder's office, $18.46 million has been allocated to bike-related projects in 2014-15.
It includes $13.79 million for shared paths (including $1.1 million for a shared path on West Parade in South Guildford) and $2 million from the Perth Parking Fund that will help in the construction of bike lanes on Barrack Street between Riverside Drive and St Georges Terrace and the design for an extension to the Roe Street shared path.
