Voting in local government elections is now compulsory
Tasmanian Council Elections 2022
Local councils are perfectly placed to improve cycling infrastructure to make it safer for more of us to ride more often.
Making it easier to ride in your local community
Below are some of the ways your council can help make it easier to ride a bike for transport or fun:
- Build and maintain paths and separated cycleways that link to jobs, schools, services and local shops and can be ridden by people of all ages and abilities.
- Develop bike plans/strategies for the council area.
- Seal and widen shoulders on popular road riding routes.
- Provide recreational trails and paths.
- Lower speeds (30km/h) on local streets where people want to ride, scoot and walk.
- Provide and mandate end-of-trip facilities and bike parking.
- Engagement with programs like Ride2School and Back on your Bike.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Are you a local candidate up for election?
Don’t wait to be contacted. If you’ve got a strong position on bikes, send us your responses to the questions listed and we’ll publish them on our website.
We’re calling on our members, friends, BUGs and local organisations to get involved.
Reach out to your council’s candidates and ask them how they plan to make your streets and open spaces more bike friendly, and let them know their response will be published on our website.
Questions you can ask your candidates:
- If elected, what projects will you prioritise to make it easier for people to walk and ride this term? What are your longer term priorities?
- If your council does not have a bike plan, will you work to get one in place in this term?
If you get a response to these or your own bike-related questions, send it to us and we’ll post them below.
You can also check out how Tasmania’s city councils have voted on bike issues on our website: www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/our-campaigns/city-council-bicycle-votes/
Council election candidate responses
If you are a candidate in the elections and would like to let people know your position on better cycling facilities, let us know.
If your council is not listed, don’t worry, we’ll add it when you send your statement.
1. BUILD PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO RIDE
- Main street makeovers – Make Sydney Road a best practice example of main street recovery and show the way for future transformations.
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Strategic Cycling Corridors – Accelerate the roll out of Strategic Cycling Corridors with prioritised planning, design and delivery program.
- Metropolitan Trails – A Metropolitan Trails Network program to deliver on the potential of Melbourne future network of recreational trails
- Low speed local neighbourhoods – Introduce a state-wide program whereby communities can apply for funding packages for liveable neighbourhood.
- Regional trails and tourism – In this term, complete the Daylesford to Macedon, and Yarra Ranges trails. And proceed with the 12 Apostles Trail.
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Health circuits in Rural Victoria – Introduce a health circuits program to boost physical activity in rural and peri-urban areas.
2. NORMALISING BIKE RIDING
3. SUPPORT AND PROTECT PEOPLE WHO RIDE
- Introduce policies that make it easier and safer to ride –Introduce minimum passing distance law and allow footpath riding in Victoria.
Bike policy should not be hard or complicated.
Governments of all political ideologies can make real change for people who ride.
