Cycling, walking and commuting groups have expressed disappointment over the decision to abandon plans to upgrade the pathways on the Tasman Bridge, saying that safety issues remain unaddressed.
The groups, including Cycling South, Bicycle Network and Hobart Walking Club, are calling on the state government to reconsider their decision.
Chair of Cycling South and Hobart Councillor Ryan Posselt has suggested the existing walkways be widened by 600mm, bringing the total width to between 1.5m and 1.7m.
He said while the proposed introduction of passing bays, raising the height of the railings or making the paths one-way may improve the bridge’s aesthetics, the measures don’t go far enough.
“We recognise that it is not possible to add additional 3.5m wide walkways onto the bridge but the state government seems to have completely given up on addressing the main safety issue which is caused by the narrowness of the walkways,” Posselt said.
“The confined space between the railings catch handlebars and is the cause of hundreds of crashes. The proposed works will make it worse.”
Bicycle Tasmania, citing survey data from fifteen years ago between 2006 and 2009, said 141 crashes were recorded on the bridge pathways, the majority of which were caused by collisions with the railings.
“Spending millions of dollars on the bridge and not increasing the width of the pathways to reduce the risk of crashes is incomprehensible,” Posselt said.
In September, Premier Jeremy Rockliff said adding 3.5-metre-wide paths to each side of the bridge would not go ahead as the initial plans would “cost far more than the project’s budget”.
He said detailed engineering reports found that the upgraded pathways “cannot be installed along the full length of the bridge without significantly modifying its structure”.
“This project is first and foremost about protecting human safety and that is what we will deliver,” he said.
“The Tasmanian Government has identified a workable solution that will take less time, cause less disruption and can be delivered under the project budget.”
The upgrades are part of a larger $130 million project funded by the Australian and Tasmanian governments.
Consultation on the proposed pathway upgrades will begin by the end of 2024, with higher barriers set to be installed in 2025.
