It’s all happening for bike riders down in Kingston at the moment, with three public consultations open for you to influence the outcomes.
We’ve already given you the rundown on the Kingborough Cycling Strategy, which is still open for comment until 20 December: https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/newsroom/2021/11/16/kingborough-bike-plan-sets-high-bar/
There are two more opportunities to have you your say on projects in the area that will affect bike riding in the area.
Transform Kington plans
Kingborough Council is asking which bike lane you prefer in its concept plans for Channel Highway through the centre of Kingston, with a traditional painted lane in the dooring zone and a protected lane next to the footpath the two options on offer.
The consultation is part of the Transform Kingston project which is costing some $7 million and leads on from the Place Score consultation last year: www.kingborough.tas.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/200218_Kingston-Place-Strategy_Draft-for-Community-Feedback.pdf
Concept One is a painted uphill lane wedged between parked cars and the traffic lane, which creates two potential danger zones for riders. This kind of treatment on a road with large volumes of vehicles does not encourage the majority of riders to use it.
Concept Two is a protected uphill lane which is a much better option for the majority of riders. Riders will be protected from the traffic lane by a line of trees and would have to give way to people crossing over the lane getting on and off buses.
Concept Two means the loss of 9 parking bays, which is a drop in the ocean considering the thousands of off-street and on-street car parks within a walkable radius of the two blocks.
If this concept is chosen we’d like to see a re-organisation of what’s been proposed so the parked cars are next to the trees buffering the protected lane, so people riding downhill without any protected lane won’t have to also deal with parked car doors.
What is missing from the consultation is Concept Three which would mean people riding have protected lanes on both sides of the street instead of just one side. I would mean removing another 10 car parks.
You can comment online before 19 January via a short survey at www.kingborough.tas.gov.au/kingborough/engagement-2/community-engagement-projects/transforming-kingston/
Algona Road Roundabout plans
The Tasmanian Government is calling for ideas for design options for the Algona Road roundabout and other intersections along the Southern Outlet, up to Firthside.
All you need to do is show those areas on the map where you do or don’t like riding your bicycle and those areas where you would ride if there was bicycle infrastructure. The design team will take on board specific ideas as well as desire lines for riders and areas where riders ask for safer paths and crossings.
Please pin your ideas/comments to the map before 21 December 2021 at:
https://stategrowthtas.mysocialpinpoint.com/kingston-bypass-algona-roundabout#/
Some of the issues you could consider include:
- Algona Road roundabout is very difficult for people to walk or cycle across using the current crossings because of the volume of traffic. If you are on a bike riding through the roundabout there is no protection from cars entering and exiting.
- The Channel Highway in the highlighted section has sporadic footpaths, unsealed edges and short lengths of narrow painted bike lanes with poor treatment at intersections. Separated cycleways the length of Channel Highway would give people the option to ride to businesses, Kingston and on to schools and reduce traffic congestion.
- The underpass under the Summerleas-Channel Hwy roundabout is difficult to access on a bicycle from the southern leg of the Channel Hwy – it needs a path along the highway and better access to the roundabout underpass.
- The shared paths around the Algona Road roundabout are disjointed and unclear, they should be transformed into a visually cohesive network. There is an underpass under Algona Road which should have a path up to the Channel Highway shared path and the path on the park and ride side of Huntingfield Avenue needs to be widened and continued.
- A pedestrian and cycling bridge/underpass connecting Spring Farm to Huntingfield and the Channel Highway is needed as the current intersection is too difficult to cross because of heavy traffic on Channel Highway and exiting and entering Bunnings. A new development across the road from Bunnings in only likely to make this worse.