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Battery Point Walkway will become an iconic Hobart riding route
Recommendation to delay Battery Point path build

The Mercury is reporting  that a Hobart City Council committee has agreed to remove construction funding for the Battery Point pathway from its 10 year capital works budget.

The council’s infrastructure committee met on Tuesday 27 February to reassess its 10 year plan.

The $6.3 million allocated to the pathway was removed from the 10 year plan, although $500,000 to scope and design the project was included in the next financial year.

Domain bridges get priority

The meeting increased funding allocated to two pedestrian and cycling bridges that are due to be finished in 2018 and 2019 and are running over budget.

The Tasman Highway bridge is due to be finished by the end of this year and will connect the Intercity Cycleway and Cenotaph to the Queens Domain. The Brooker Bridge is yet to start construction but when finished will connect the Queens Domain to Bathurst Street.

While the new bridges are important connections to the Domain, the Battery Point path is also critical. University students and staff need links between the Sandy Bay campus, arts and medical buildings in the city, and accommodation in the city.

Battery Point path has also been an ongoing campaign of Bicycle Network

Sandy Bay and Taroona are also ideal distances to be commuter suburbs and better connected bike infrastructure would give residents more transport choices.

No southern bicycle connector

Putting the Battery Point link off for ten years or more leaves Hobart without a southern bicycle connector for people wanting to ride into the city.

The alternative is continuation of the bike lane along Sandy Bay Road. This is achievable by removing some on-road parking and reducing traffic to one lane in narrow sections.

However, the benefit of a Battery Point link is the tourism benefits of having an easy walk/ride close to town with scenic and historical features.

Recommendations from the infrastructure committee are likely to be considered by the full council on Monday 5 March. Agendas for council meetings are available the Wednesday evening before the Monday meeting: http://hobart.infocouncil.biz/

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