Bike riders and pedestrians are set for safer, smoother travel in Western Australia following a state government commitment to a raft of new active transport projects.
The $9.6 million in new funding under the WA Bicycle Network Grants Program will cover 37 metropolitan and regional local government areas.
It will deliver 47 new projects over the next two years and generate 38km of new paths.
The pledge follows previous funding announcements through the WA Bicycle Network Grants Program and brings the total commitment to $12.9 million. The program will deliver a total of 62km of new paths for bikes and pedestrians across 63 separate projects.
Of note in the latest funding round is $750,000 for the Hector Street Safe Active Street project in the Perth’s City of Stirling, $1 million for the Drake Street Separated Bike Path in the City of Bayswater and $1.25 million for the Falcon Coastal Shared Path in Perth’s south.
Significant sums have also been promised for the regions: $1.9 million will be put toward nine projects in and around the city of Albany; $1.3 million will go to 12 projects near Margaret River and Bunbury; and more than $1 million will be directed towards active transport projects in the Pilbara region.
A map of the new projects can be found here.
"Whether people cycle, scoot, e-ride or walk, it's important that local precincts have accessible and welcoming infrastructure that connects people with where they need to go,” says Transport Minister Rita Saffioti.
"Our WA Bicycle Network Grants facilitate a great partnership between state and local governments and continue to be a major contribution to making active transport safer, convenient and a more attractive option for more people, more often."