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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-06-03 Daily Xml
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TRAM, SHARED-USE PATH

The Hon. M. PARNELL (15:45): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Road Safety a question about the issue of a shared-use path across the South Road Glenelg tram overpass.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: On 24 October last year, a media release from the minister announced funding for cyclist and pedestrian crossings for the city to Glenelg tramway cycle route project. The minister at the time stated:

This shared pathway, on land that was previously inaccessible, is proving to be extremely popular with commuting cyclists and walkers...

It's part of our commitment to improving the safety and convenience of alternative forms of commuting.

The new shared-use path is part of ongoing efforts to provide a safe and convenient route for cyclists from Glenelg to the city.

The 10 kilometre tramway cycling route is a combination of shared paths and nominated suburban streets, which are shown on the government's BikeDirect website. If you go to the website and look at the maps, you can clearly see the tramway cycling route. It travels along the tramway and intersects South Road, and travels on into Black Forest and then into the city.

As part of the South Road upgrade project, the government is committed to a tram overpass where the tram line currently intersects level with South Road. The Community Update on this project, issued in December last year, reported that one of the most popular design features was this cyclist and pedestrian route along the corridor. The newsletter also listed the 'key urban design principles that will drive the design', and the number 1 principle is to 'provide all pedestrians, public transport users, cyclists and motorists with safe, enjoyable and easy access across South Road.'

Not surprisingly, the cycling community took the minister's comment at face value, and that confidence was backed up by supportive statements from the Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure. In the July to August edition of the Bicycle Institute of South Australia newsletter, entitled 'Stop Press: shared past bridge over South Road on tram line, from Peter Watts, Manager, DTEI, Office of Cycling and Walking', Mr Watts states:

The great news for green travel corridors is the tram overpass of South Road at Glandore. This will grade separate the Glenelg tramway route up and over South Road including the shared-use path. This will then complete all arterial road crossings along the entire route for the Tramway Park. The South Road crossing is the one arterial road where we probably would have had the greatest difficulties in installing a pedestrian crossing because of its effect on traffic flows on South Road.

It was with that information that people were surprised when the second Community Update for the project came out in May this year showing two conflicting artist's impressions of the overpass—one showing a shared path, and the other one not. When the Bicycle Institute went to speak to the project manager, it was told that, instead of a shared path over the overpass, the preferred option was now an 'on demand' crossing at street level. My questions to the minister are:

1. Will there be a shared-use path for pedestrians and cyclists across South Road as part of the Glenelg tram overpass project as promised?

2. Does the minister agree with the manager of DTEI's Office of Cycling and Walking, Peter Watts, that replacing a tram crossing with an 'on demand' pedestrian crossing across South Road would totally destroy any attempt to free up traffic flow along South Road?

3. If that is the case, does the minister accept that an 'on demand' crossing simply will not happen, because it would effectively negate the rest of the project but would have the effect of halving the route and making South Road an impenetrable barrier?

4. Has the government given up on the city to Glenelg cycle path?

The PRESIDENT: The minister might disregard the number of opinions in those questions.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:49): First, I thank the honourable member for placing on record all the wonderful things this government has done for cycling. He did wax lyrical there for a while, and I thank him for that.

Towards the end of expressing those many opinions he did raise some issues. I will need to seek some advice from the department and also my colleague the Minister for Transport in the other place because, clearly, they are linked to larger infrastructures, and I will then bring back a response for the honourable member.

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