By Chris Thomson | posted on July 6, 2018
THEY had a dream.
That one day a bicycle path would wind all the way from Little Grove virtually to the doorstep of Albany Town Hall.
But that dream, by Albany council engineers and cycling aficionados, now lies in tatters.
When last year The Weekender revealed plans to build a 2.5km, $1.2 million missing link in Albany’s cycle network (‘Smooth ride into town’, November 16), Stage 1 from the top of Carlisle Street was meant to end at Collie Street just behind Town Hall.
Soon after reading that article, Grey Street West residents submitted a petition arguing the route was unsafe because it was a major transit route down to York Street.
The petitioners further argued that too many car parks would be lost along Grey Street West.
Then, at a council meeting on December 19, the City’s elected officials agreed that the 200m section from Parade to Collie Street be indefinitely excluded from the project (‘People over pedal power’, December 28, 2017).
Now, after a review of the bike path design, and two on-site meetings with residents, a recommendation by council engineer David King to the City’s development and infrastructure committee back-pedals further.
Mr King recommends that “at this time” the path only be built from Carlisle Street to Melville Street, a further 200m back from Parade Street.
The committee will consider Mr King’s recommendation on Wednesday night, ahead of deliberations by the full council at a meeting further down the track.
