Earlier this month Canning council endorsed the Long-Term Cycle Network (LTCN) developed in collaboration between the City of Canning and the Department of Transport.
The LTCN started in July 2019 and due to be completed by June 2020.
Department of Local Government officers worked together to identify LTCN routes and categorise them using a new simplified three tier route hierarchy of primary, secondary and local routes.
The endorsed LTCN across the Perth metropolitan region and Peel region can assist in leveraging additional funding for bicycle infrastructure.
The department of transport will be updating the guidance for local government in relation
to developing local bicycle plans and a public consultation to enable the community to assist in shaping the plan is expected.
Councillor Ben Kunze proposed an amendment to have a cycle route along High Road between Leach Highway and Vahland Avenue included in the LTCN.
“The development of the LTCN it is a fantastic development,” he said.
“I cycle and it can be frustrating when there’s not more of a direct route and I think arterial routes are extremely important, so I support the initiative wholeheartedly.
“But I found it frustrating that when we developed the Cycling and Walking Plan, the department wasn’t in favour of arterial routes and the city didn’t include a cycle path along High Road, especially between Leach Highway and Vahland Avenue, because of
the amount of infrastructure.
“But it is a local distributor road and it has major activity centres, high schools and it will soon connect the Nicholson Road train station with Bull Creek train station.
“However, it is not very conducive to cycling, it’s got too narrow lanes and the actual footpath isn’t that great either because there’s a number of crossovers.
“My twin brother, when we were 15, was actually hit by a car when we were cycling down High Road.
“To me we’ve always needed a cycle path there, and while High Road wasn’t able to be included in the Cycling and Walking Plan due to sheer costs, one day I hope that the electricity infrastructure will be undergrounded and there will be an opportunity to provide a good cycle lane down High Road, to make it safer for cyclists.”
Both the motion and amendment were carried unanimously.
