SUPPORT SAFE CYCLING
FOR PARK ORCHARDS
Thank you for supporting candidates most committed to making safe bike paths happen, like the Alder Link to the Mullum Mullum trail.

Council has recently built some on-road bike lanes on Park Road near Granard Avenue. While these will be appreciated they are not a solution for families.

The Alder Reserve Link is the safest, flattest and the only feasible route for families, children and the average rider to ride beyond Park Orchards. Having the Mullum Mullum trail bordering our suburb with dangerous Park Rd as the only access is like putting a playground across the road from a school and not providing a school crossing.

The Alder Reserve Link will provide a safe rideable link to the population centre of Park Orchards and will provide:
- safe walking access to the natural environment of the Mullum Mullum.
- connections for cyclists to the Mullum Mullum and Melbourne's Principal bike path network, providing easy connection to locations and services in many suburbs
- convenient fairly flat cycling access to Heatherdale Railway Station
- safe access to Whitefriars College, Warrandyte High School and other schools.
- safe access to the Mullum Mullum for Park Orchards P.S. and St.Annes P.S. for Bike Ed and other activities.
- make many places accessible without a car: local workplaces, library at Eastland, etc, etc.
- put the Park Rd buses within an easy walk for the residents on Alder Ct and Curry Rd.

After many submissions Council has thus far only committed to an investigation/feasibility study of the Alder Link in the 2009-2010 budget year. A investigation by itself won't deliver a path. The Mullum Mullum trail is scheduled for probable completion in 2012. We need the Alder Link completed by the time the path is open.

With increasing concerns about our climate, our environment and inevitable increases in fuel prices we should have the choice of safely using sustainable transport for some of our trips.

Does Manningham want to encourage people away from cars or towards cars? While Park Orchards remains a suburb without a safe rideable cycling route we have no choice. Public transport is not good on any day, we are outside the range of the community bus and on Sundays there is absolutely no public transport. We desperately need a Safe Cycling Route for Park Orchards. Park Orchards has had a long-standing disadvantage in terms of public transport and bike paths compared to central Manningham and this is an opportunity to redress part of it.

Connecting Paths: (Click for enlargement)

Link area image:

Mullum Mullum Creek Linear Park Stage 3 Management Plan Draft June 2008
PDF File (4.5 Mb)

Park Orchards Safe Cycling Group
Contact: Alan Ball ednaball[at]optusnet.com.au
98764057