Active Streets: prioritising path maintenance

HANSARD

People need paths. We all want good paths. Maintenance is expensive, boring and thankless. Active Streets is a budget measure to improve the paths in older suburbs, particularly around shopping centres and schools. Active Streets should not be confused with Active Travel Streets.

Path routine maintenance is relatively unlikely as it is expensive. The ACT Government deserves acknowledgement for the effort, but the funds are still limited. Even in the 2021-2024 ACT Budget provided only $3.5 million over the four budget years including path maintenance.

For active travel, the infrastructure in older suburbs needs to be improved. This is discussed in the post: Active Travel Streets: making cycling safer.

Active Travel Streets is the transformation of older suburbs with the replacement of the old with the new, reconceiving space and rebalancing the priorities, to make more space for people. Active Travel Streets is a renewal of an old space.

Active Streets is the maintenance of existing space and does not fundamentally change the balance. It is driven by a duty of care (making the path safe) and cost expediency (paths that are not fixed are more expensive to replace). Active Streets is not sexy but for our old and very young loved ones it is very important. Those with disabilities will benefit from Active Streets, too, as it can include improvements such as gutter ramps. Cyclists will also see the benefits. Cycling is not an important part of the concept. This is self-evident from the photos in Evatt.

Road safety around schools in the territory is also being improved through the active streets program, which was piloted and evaluated at four schools earlier in the year. This will see a $1 million expansion of the program, which will also encompass a range of schools in my electorate—Chapman, Curtin, Holy Trinity primary, Garran primary, Hughes primary, Melrose High and Sacred Heart primary.

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2017 Week 11 Hansard (20 September), Page 4029

Figure 1: This is not a pedestrian path but a community path and can be used by all active travellers. The blue sign is a warning that school children are likely to walk here. Evatt, Belconnen.

Figure 2: In older suburbs, you will often find underpasses providing access to shops without having to cross a busy road. This is rare in newer suburbs. Evatt local shops in the background. Community Paths around Evatt, Belconnen

Figure 3: Evatt underpass. The blue sign warning of school children. Evatt, Belconnen.

Figure 4: Community paths around Evatt local shops, Belconnen. In older suburbs, the gradients are often more than one would like. Steep paths and ramps are not consistent with active travel standards and the ACT Disability Act.

Figure 5: Community paths around Evatt local shops, Belconnen. The joy of childhood.

Figure 6: Even though adjacent paths have warnings of school children the same cannot be said for the entrance to the car park. Considering there are paths provided around the shops, it would be best not to cross here. Children are anything but predictable and a sign warning motorist to watch for pedestrians would be sensible, considering the primary school is just down the road.

Figure 7: Community path in Evatt, Belconnen. There should be a 0.5m clearance between path and obstacles for it to be safe for the cyclist according to ACT standards. The bollard could be moved into the garden.

Figure 8: Community path in Evatt, Belconnen. Overgrown paths are common in Canberra and make the paths even narrower. Just a little maintenance is required here.

Figure 8: Community path in Evatt, Belconnen. Again, there should be 0.5m clearance of obstacles for it to be safe for the cyclist according to ACT standards. The handlebar and pedal extend over the edge of the path. This is why paths should not be put hard up against a wall.

Figure 9: Old paths at Evatt local shops. The path is overgrown, cracked and requiring maintenance. This garden area could be rejuvenated, as the ACT Government has already done for other local shopping centres in Belconnen.

Figure 10: The path is safe but old. At some point, this path will need replacing. It is ridable for now as the cracks can be avoided. Should one side lift this would be a hazard. Community paths around Evatt local shops, Belconnen