Jennifer Pittorino
Better West members are one step closer to receiving separated and walking bike paths on Birmingham Street, but the work is not done yet.
In its council meeting on Tuesday, February 13, Hobsons Bay council addressed a Joint Letter from Better West Inc.
The letter which council received in September, requests that council work with the developer of the Spotswood Yards development to construct a separated bike path and separate footpath, within the current nature strip reserve on the southern side Birmingham Street.
In the meeting council noted that it has collaborated with the developer of the Spotswood Yards property and have amended the planning permits to receive a financial contribution towards the construction of public works on Birmingham St.
In lieu of the construction of a 2.5 metre shared path that was required in their planning permit.
Better West Secretary Rowena Joske said she is glad council has worked with the developer to accept a financial contribution, but is not supportive of council’s plan to go ahead with the path that they have called the GreenLine.
“At this point the GreenLine plans are unrealistic and pursuing them will be expensive and will create unnecessary division amongst residents,” she said.
“Frankly, the GreenLine plans seem to sabotage the cycling network that was already planned though the Altona North, Precinct 15 development plan to connect that development to Spotswood.”
Ms Joske said the options for the GreenLine on Birmingham st shows concept designs with bike and footpaths that are wider than needed, and don’t fit into the existing nature strip space.
“This design would require the road to be rebuilt, to make it narrower with one-way traffic or existing car parking removed,” she said.
“They have come up with this elaborate, really expensive and unfeasible plan that their local residents are really really unsupportive of.
“Better West now asks council to develop a simple design to fit this Birmingham Street bike path and footpath within the existing nature strip reserve and ask that this path’s construction be funded in next year’s council budget.”
In response to the officers recommendations Councillor Jonathon Marsden said he looks forward to the path getting built referring to the GreenLine plan.
“This is a good opportunity to have amended the permit conditions and to seek a contribution from the developer towards a more recent strategic plan known as GreenLine which lies within the Better Places, plans for Spotswood and South Kingsville,” he said.
