The Hobart City Council agreed to set aside $400,000 to construct approximately 400m of the cycleway from McVilly Drive to the boundary of the Macquarie Point development site at their meeting of 24 July 2017.
It is going to be hard to route this cycleway through or around the site, while keeping it an attractive route for commuter cyclists without interfering with the site and pedestrian use. The current route from Evans Street straight up the highway to the Cycleway is around 600 metres, and the new route will be around1km long after going through Macquarie Point, so for many commuter and other cyclists there is going to be a trade off in time and rid-ability when deciding which way to go. One big thing they will hopefully get right is the Evans Street intersection.
My vote, unless the Evans Street lights sequencing can be significantly improved, is for a route that comes out at the other end of Evans street allowing cyclists to bypass the heavy traffic altogether, but I can see pros and cons both ways.
The decision voted on by Hobart City Council (taken from http://hobart.infocouncil.biz/Open/2017/07/CO_24072017_AGN_727_AT_WEB.htm) is as follows:
Intercity Cycleway - Proposed Extension - Macquarie Point Development Corporation Site
File Ref: F17/86182
Ref: Open PR 6.8, 13/07/2017
That:
1. The City work in partnership with the Macquarie Point Development Corporation to enable the construction of the extension of the Intercity Cycleway, from McVilly Drive, Hobart Regatta Grounds, through Macquarie Point to Evans Street and include any bicycle infrastructure work that may be required into traffic flows with all sections being built concurrently.
2. The City’s financial contribution of an estimated $400,000 to construct approximately 400m of the cycleway from McVilly Drive to the boundary of the Macquarie Point development site, be approved.
3. The approval be provided on the condition that the Macquarie Point Development Corporation fund construction of the cycleway through its site to Evans Street (approximately 600 metres).
4. The General Manager be authorised to progress all required negotiations with the Macquarie Point Development Corporation and to lodge development applications for the works, as may be required.
5. Design of the final alignment and detail of the cycleway be undertaken in consultation with relevant stakeholders, including the Hobart Bicycle Advisory Committee.
6. Should there be variation in the cost of the build, by 20 per cent or more, the project must be referred back to Committee.