Bicycle transport in Plans 5 Key elements

Introduction

The current situation and potentials for cycling is still relatively poorly understood by planners and thus, given low priority. This is reflected in most current draft draft plans.
Most adopted Bike Plans provide for low standards and when implemented by the RTA and Councils, often do not conform with the published guidelines provided by the Department of Planning and the Roads and Traffic Authority.
BIKEast argues that to gain a significant modal shift to bikes requires a key provisions in all plans consistent with standards and which will result in bike facilities that 'novice' riders will likely use.
This requires: better and coordinated planning, more funding and focussed promotion.
The thrust of any submissions to plans should address five points, as below:

Five Basic Points

1. Prepare a bicycle network plan such plans for each local area, city centre or subregion, are an essential precedent step to rational and effective infrastructure funding and implementation - limited

funds applied to the right routes and intersections connecting neighbourhoods to their centres, schools etc.
Biggest issues - poor bike plans (mostly below adopted guideline standards), but particularly the current and unavoidable discontinuities of bike routes, including across and along main roads - an RTA responsibility.

2. Develop a bicycle infrastructure program to implement the network plan, with signage, public short and secure long-term bicycle parking, maps showing all this etc - getting it done up to standard.
Big issues - lack of funds and standards not achieved, thus not attractive to 'novice' riders limiting potential shift from cars to bikes for shorter trips.

3. Provide appropriate bicycle parking and destination facilities connecting with public transport where subregional bike routes intersect and in all new developments. Issue - still not in plans, nor coordinated/linked with Metropolitan and local parking policies

4. Require transport management and accessibility plans and transport access guides tools for planner and designers to ultimately provide more sustainable development and customised travel information for lowering energy intensive trips - push to improve local plans
Issue - most new developments and traffic generating developments mostly still do required to offer attractive cycling facilities and environments.

5. Develop bicycling promotions program State-wide driver and cyclist awareness programs coordinated with local promotion of completed facilities.
Issue - experience says sound TravelSmart and related behavioural change programs, are not working well without high standard facilities on-the-ground and changing poor and aggressive driver attitudes. Coordinate and fund.

Other Matters

The submission then needs to identify special needs and bicycle facility requirements. These should be directly related to the areas being addressed in the plan. Suggests necessary additions or other changes to a Plan's relevant parts.
Please see the Guidelines for addressing the Bicycle in Plans. This may help in completing a submission.

Bottom line is: push for adequate planning and funding for bicycling.
Recognise that bike facilities and promotion cheaper and easier to do than all alternative transport initiatives. Can help deal with congestion, environmental, health, equity and well-being issues: Great cost to benefit ratio.
The State's big public transport initiatives are not going to deliver significant additional transport capacity for a decade or more. Meanwhile, why not exploit the cheap and attractive bicycling option, as Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth are doing!