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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 3 Hansard (26 March) . . Page.. 640 ..

MR DE (continuing):

Distribution of the brochure will be through ACT Government shopfronts, motor registry offices and NRMA offices. The "Share the Road" concept is not new. The brochure follows on from, and is complementary to, the "Share the Road" campaign undertaken by the NRMA-ACT Road Safety Trust, which will be finishing in late March 1996. This campaign featured advertising in local print media, bus sides and on local radio and promoted to both cyclists and motorists the benefits of acknowledging each other as legitimate road users.

In a further effort to encourage cycling as a realistic transport option for commuters, the Traffic and Roads Section of the Department of Urban Services has implemented a number of on-road cycling facilities throughout the ACT. In many cases these have been incorporated into the resealing program, with sealed shoulders and wide kerbside lanes being provided at the time that roads were being relinemarked.

The latest road to have on-road cycling facilities included as part of the resealing program is Dairy Flat Road leading from Fyshwick towards the city and the airport. Bicycle symbols have been included on the surface of the shoulder area and it is proposed to place on the roadside temporary yellow signs indicating that the wide shoulder has been provided for cycling. These signs could be moved on a bimonthly basis to various locations throughout the ACT where similar facilities are provided. This approach is taken in Western Australia and is successful in reinforcing to drivers that cyclists are encouraged to use the road. I am pleased to add that on-road cycling facilities on the Barton Highway also came on line during March 1996. On-road cycling links also exist on a number of other roads in the ACT, including between the major town centres of Belconnen and Woden and the city, and also along Athllon Drive in Tuggeranong.

I believe that liaison between groups with an interest in cycling issues in the ACT is very important. For this reason, I am pleased to announce that a formal liaison mechanism between ACT Government departments with an interest in cycling, the ACT bicycle lobby and the motorists lobby has been established to ensure that a balanced approach is adopted in the area of cycling. The group will work within the parameters set by the ACT transport strategy and the draft ACT bicycle strategy. The first meeting of the ACT cycling liaison group was held on 20 March 1996. In addition to the major projects I have just spoken about, the department has been involved in a number of other initiatives designed to encourage cycling. These include the production of a new and revised cycleways map, special events such as Bike Week, and the provision of cycle trip-end facilities, such as bicycle lockers which are provided at all town centres and bus interchanges.

Mr Speaker, cycling is a healthy and environmentally friendly means of transport. In the ACT we are fortunate to have in place well planned and managed cycle paths, and the Government is committed to implementing measures designed to encourage Canberrans to use these facilities whenever possible. From time to time there are members of this Assembly who tend to criticise this Government, and other governments before it, for not doing too much about cycling. I say this to those members:

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