By Margaret Maccoll
Cyclists are hoping Noosa Council’s $250,000 shire-wide walking and cycling pathway study will result in a complete and viable alternative transport option.
Bike On director Tracey Wyatt said it was fantastic Council was looking at a way to get more people biking and though Noosa had a good network of bike pathways it was missing a few connections and needed more infrastructure.
Noosa Parade coming into Hastings Street and Noosa Drive from Hastings Street to Noosa Junction are the main ones, she said.
“They’re vital and they’re missing,” she said.
“Noosa has a good natural advantage. Most of it is flat in the busy areas. You can get around on a regular bike.”
Noosa Bike Shop’s Neil Johnson said he wanted the study to be practical and aimed at completing work done 10 years ago.”There’s a lot of areas done and done pretty well,” he said.
“There was a plan about 10 years ago. What was started many years ago should be completed. And they’ve got to update bike paths that share with the road and find a way to get rid of cars that park in them.”
A collaboration between Open Noosa, Zero Emissions Noosa (ZEN), Ecotekk and Grassroots Noosa is already working on the issue, having created an interactive map to highlight trouble spots across Noosa’s cycling network, with a vision to create “an active transport community providing smooth, efficient, enjoyable and safe cycling for residents and visitors”.
Open Noosa editor Bettina Walton set up a Cycling Bubble Map where residents can post images of trouble spots on the cycling network. Residents are invited to upload to the Bubble Map. Cycle Noosa will evaluate the findings and provide a plan to Noosa Council and Noosa MP Sandy Bolton for considerations. To add to the map visit opennoosa.org/cyclenoosa/
