The advent of the new Berejiklian Government has created an opportunity to get bikes back on the agenda in NSW.
When the new Premier was opposition transport spokesman, she was keenly interested in the Bicycle Network approach to getting more people on bikes. She clearly appreciated the role bikes could play in helping to carry the commuter transport burden, in improving urban amenity, and in contributing to health outcomes.
Importantly, she was a strong supporter form the beginning of Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore’s strategy to give investment in __bike infrastructure a high priority in the inner city.
Although the Roads portfolio is seen as a sinecure of the National Party within the NSW coalition, and therefore a comfortable resting place for stick-in-the-mud rural politicians like Duncan Gay, there are good prospects for the new Minister, Melinda Pavey MP, to repair relations with the __bike riding community, and get bikes back on the in agenda. She rides a bike herself and understands what it means to have decent facilities to ride on.
Berijiklian has long been a public transport champion. But in this decade, public transport is not enough: transport integration is where we are headed—a transport model that considers all modes of travel as equally important to solving the problem of transport in our rapidly growing and densifying cities.
Bikes can make a massive contribution to solving the transport problem, as well as delivering a whole host of other benefits to the community.
We trust that the new Premier and Minister are open top this vision, and as always, Bicycle Network is standing by and ready to inform, guide and give urgency to this vision.
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