MEDIA RELEASE: Monday 4th Dec 2017

The Greens have proposed an ambitious plan for Wollongong Council that  over the next 30 years would transform our city into a bike friendly city to rival Amsterdam and Copenhagen.

Wollongong Greens Councillor Mithra Cox has put a notice of motion for consideration at the next Council meeting on December 11.  Under this plan, Council would develop a 30-year plan that would include every road having a dedicated cycleway that is physically separated from traffic by 2050.

A cycleway on every street: The Greens' ambitious plan for Wollongong

The Greens have proposed an ambitious plan for Wollongong Council that  over the next 30 years would transform our city into a bike friendly city to rival Amsterdam and Copenhagen.

Wollongong Greens Councillor Mithra Cox has put a notice of motion for consideration at the next Council meeting on December 11.  Under this plan, Council would develop a 30-year plan that would include every road having a dedicated cycleway that is physically separated from traffic by 2050.

“Around 85% of all trips in Wollongong are done in a car, and this is increasing.  The reason is obvious: we do not have other options to get around,” Cr Cox said.

“Our local trains only run once an hour, many buses don’t run at all on weekends, we have hardly any cycleways, and many streets don’t even have footpaths,” said Cr Cox.

“We have been made car dependent by urban design decisions. In cities where there is dedicated infrastructure for cycling, cycling for transport is the norm.  But when it feels unsafe, as it does in Wollongong, people will drive.

“Wollongong Council is not responsible for our trains.  Council is not responsible for buses, and we don’t have the responsibility to build a light rail.  But we are responsible for footpaths and cycleways, and we can change the lives of our citizens by providing safe and universal cycleways.

“People may make excuses that Wollongong is not suited to riding bikes because we are hilly, or do not have a culture of bike riding, but the evidence does not back this up.  Hilly Switzerland has some of the most bike friendly cities in the world.

“People made the same arguments that Copenhagen was too cold, or did not have an outdoor culture suitable to bikes - but they spent 30 years investing in cycling infrastructure and are now considered the top city for cycling I the world.

“Urban design, not climate or topography, is the key factor that makes a city safe and pleasant for riding a bike,” Ms Cox said.

More information: Mithra Cox 0419 720 322