The City of Hobart has released a discussion paper about the future of North Hobart which recommends “investigating separated cycleways”, two and a half years after a vision document recommended the same thing.
The Neighbourhood Plan paper focuses on how to manage the expected growth of the suburb in the next 18 years. This includes a prediction of 880 more homes and 600 more jobs, and the increased commercial floor space to accommodate them.
Page 80 of the paper deals with opportunities to improve the cycling experience through and to the suburb.
- Enhance safety of bike riders along Argyle Street by:
- investigating the feasibility of raised bi-directional bicycle lanes adjacent to the footpath, which provides a physical separation from traffic and parking
- ensuring bicycle movements are prioritised through intersections and consider raised continuous lanes at T-intersections.
- Continue the Elizabeth Street Midtown bicycle lane upgrade to Federal Street to allow connection onwards to Argyle Street bicycle lanes and the wider network. Investigate providing a protected bicycle path instead of painted on-road lanes.
- Investigate providing protected bicycle lanes which cater for all ages and abilities on additional streets, such as Burnett Street, Federal Street, and Letitia Street, ensuring lanes are physically protected from traffic and parked cars.
- Ensure bicycle lanes are continued within all intersections to improve safety of bicycle riders.
- Explore opportunities to provide access for bicycles across Brooker Highway into Queens Domain, such as through installation of a signalised intersection with separated bicycle lanes at Brooker Highway and Park Street/ Letitia Street intersection, or Stoke Street, or grade separated crossing at Stoke Street and the new universally accessible compliant bridge.
- Increase provision of bicycle hoops at key destinations such as Elizabeth Street and retail and education destinations.
The discussion paper follows the 51-page North Hobart Access and Parking Plan that was released in March 2021 as part of the vision process that recommended:
- Review Principal Bicycle Network in line with working towards development of a complete network
- Develop ‘shimmy’ route linking North Hobart and West Hobart
- Improve cycling on Elizabeth Street as part of preferred future street reconfiguration
- Introduce new bike parking facilities
- Improve cycling facilities and infrastructure on Argyle Street.
The city has reviewed the central Hobart cycling network recently to commit to All Ages and Abilities standard infrastructure as part of the Greater Hobart Cycling Plan, but that stops just short of North Hobart. None of the other recommendations from the March 2021 plan have eventuated.
You can comment on the discussion paper before 30 September via an online survey and community workshops are being held at the North Hobart Uniting Church in Swan Street on:
- Wednesday 20 September, 5pm–6.30pm
- Thursday 21 September, 10am–11.30am
After the consultation period, a draft plan is due out later in 2023 and then following more consultation, a final plan is due in mid-2024.
To fill out the survey or RSVP to a workshop, visit https://yoursay.hobartcity.com.au/north-hobart-neighbourhood-plan