THE long fight to install the missing link in a key western suburbs bike path has had a breakthrough with the state government committing to build a $5.3 million overpass on the Federation Trail.
But critics say the proposal is simply a reannouncement of existing funding and a step backwards from original plans to continue the trail through to Williamstown Road.
The Federation Trail is a 24-kilometre shared bicycle and pedestrian path that will eventually run from the Maltby Bypass in Werribee to Hyde Street in Yarraville.
Roads Minister Terry Mulder announced on Thursday the Newport-Albion freight line overpass would finally connect the end of the current trail in Brooklyn to Fogarty Avenue in Yarraville.
The announcement came a day after the Weekly met frustrated cyclists and shadow roads minister Luke Donnellan at the site where the current trail is fenced off near Millers Road. The cyclists said the missing link was keeping many people from commuting into the city or around the inner west, particularly female riders.
Hobsons Bay Bicycle User Group president Noel Dyson said a safe off-road route was essential for increasing cycling rates and helping free up clogged roads.
“If we have a proper link here we will see a lot more people using it, especially less confident riders such as mums riding with their kids.”
The first stage of the trail from Werribee River to Millers Road finished abruptly 250 metres west of the Newport-Albion rail reserve, on the north side of the West Gate Bridge.
Mr Mulder said the next stage would involve a bridge over the Tottenham rail line and industrial land that would lead into Fogarty Avenue.
“This is an exciting stage of the project that will ensure that all users of the path, including cyclists, will be able to cross the rail line safely and continue on their journey.”
Mr Donnellan said work stalled on the trail in 2011 because the government shelved the truck action plan.
Williamstown MP Wade Noonan said the announcement was well overdue but a sensible decision.
Western suburbs MP Andrew Elsbury said the trail extension would make cycling more accessible to residents in the Werribee, Hoppers Crossing, Laverton and Brooklyn areas.
The government is yet to commit funding for the two final stages to complete the path, from Fogarty Avenue to Williamstown Road and then on to Hyde Street.
A spokeswoman for Mr Mulder confirmed the $5.3 million was part of the original $9.2 million allocated for this stage of the project.
“Stages three and four of the Federation Trail, which will continue on the existing alignment, are still in the planning phase and the costs for each will not be known until detailed design works are carried out.”
Greens MP Colleen Hartland said it was basically a reannouncement of existing funding and a halving of the project’s scope after nearly two years of delay.
“This section of the trail project was due to be completed by mid-2011 and was to extend to Williamstown Road. This is the biggest gap in Melbourne’s off-road bike paths and there’s still no money committed to complete it.”
