Clarence Council has released concept maps and designs to improve the central area of Rosny, Warrane and Bellerive as part of its City Heart project, including better cycling connections.
The concept designs respond to 9 principles, which include a principle to improve active transport by building clear, safe connections between the area’s main destinations.
Bligh Street set to get bike lanes
The concept designs propose a ‘green spine’ running from Warrane down to Bellerive, cutting through the centre of the Rosny and Bellerive shopping and service areas.
The document acknowledges that car parking will need to be removed and moved to accomplish safe cycling routes but doesn’t articulate exactly where or how that will be done.
The designs include images of safe cycling routes elsewhere in Australia and around the world but don’t land on a preferred design solution for the different sections of the Bligh Street corridor, instead calling for more investigation of safe cycling options.
The concepts document calls for the upgrade of the Gordons Hill Road, Bayfield Street and Rosny Hill Road intersections to better cater for active transport modes.
More space-efficient car parking
To make space to make the area more liveable, the concept designs propose using the footprint of existing sprawling ground-level car parks to create new residential, commercial and community development opportunities, with parking incorporated in the new buildings.
More open space
One of the concepts is to transform the golf course into four separate park areas, all connected by a trail network: art and culture park, central park, wild park and active park.
This means you could go for a pleasure ride along the Foreshore Trail and up into and around the parklands to get to particular events or activities, or just go for a ride.
Have your say
The concept designs are open for public comment until 8 May. The Council will take the feedback and release a City Heart Plan in June that will identify priorities and timelines for implementation.
While the active transport spine and other connections are good concepts, all of the final design is still up in the air so the community will need to be clear with the council that they want them to get on with implementing the green spine as a priority.
You can fill out the survey at www.yoursay.ccc.tas.gov.au/cityheart. The website also lists some of the events and locations that the concept designs will be displayed.