'Issues to be worked through' as Hobart City Council gets $300,000 for new cycle lanes

Almost $300,000 for more new bike lanes in Hobart has been handed to the city council by the state government’s ‘Better Active Transport in Tasmania’ program.

A total of $4.7 million has been distributed to councils across the state, including $170,000 for a Collins Street cycle lane in the Hobart CBD, $50,000 for planning Augusta Road bike lanes and $70,000 for upgrades to the Castray Esplanade shared path.

$278,000 has been granted to the Southern Midlands Council for a shared pathway from Kempton to Midland Highway pit-stop Mood Food and $500,000 to the Clarence City Council for the Clarence Foreshore Trail at Rosny Point.

Transport Minister Eric Abetz said the grants were aimed at supporting “healthier and more sustainable transport options”.

“The successful projects will enhance accessibility, ease of use and safety for cyclists and other active transport users and help people make the choice to leave the car at home for their daily travel needs,” he said.

Abetz acknowledged concerns around the recently added cycle lanes in the CBD, including complaints from emergency services that forced the City of Hobart to implement no stopping rules for parking spaces shifted to make way for a cycle lane on Campbell Street.

“Not only have I been lobbied by businesses about [the cycle lanes], but I’m also recognising from a little stopover at the Metro depot that the bus drivers aren’t very happy with them either,” he said.

“That is something that for future planning clearly needs to be taken into account. Not only businesses, very important though they be, but also the flow of traffic including other public transport mechanisms such as buses being able to get around corners without blocking traffic.”

“So a few issues there which I’m sure will be worked through.”

Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds, a supporter of cycle lanes in the city, said the pending trial for three blocks of Collins Street will include new zebra crossings, outdoor dining areas and dual bike lanes that are separated from cars.

It will result in 59 on-street car parks being removed and around 27 retained, which businesses have argued will drive away customers.

However, Reynolds says this is a “fraction of the overall space that will continue to be carparks” and suggested drivers use the over 1,300 other “public parking spaces on or within a few steps of Collins Street” in parking buildings and side streets.

“Some people may be inconvenienced by the conversion of parking spots on Collins Street. But … there are hundreds of other carparks very close by,” she wrote in her newsletter.

Other councillors, including John Kelly, Marti Zucco, Louise Bloomfield and Louise Elliot, suggest a bike lane on a single side of the road or that peak-hour cycle clearways be explored instead.

“We walked the street and spoke to the traders and so far we’ve only had three of the traders from Fellini right up the top end of Molle Street actually supportive of the project. I would say it’s 95% against and about 5% for,” Zucco said in May.