Tasmanian Greens Media Release: Bike lanes erased from Invermay Road development – What Happened To Our Active Healthy City?

The Tasmanian Greens today expressed their concern at the inexplicable actions by Launceston City Council to overrule their own planning advice and approve an option for the $1 million redevelopment of Invermay Rd that does not include bike lanes, despite this being a mandatory objective of any new design for the commuter route.

Greens Member for Bass, Kim Booth MHA, said that it was extraordinary that in the 21st century, with climate change upon us and the benefits and worth of cycle ways being proven around the world that one of the widest streets in Launceston would be redeveloped at such cost without the provision of bike lanes.

“If Launceston is to continue to develop into the thriving regional city it should be, then progressive thinking on public transport infrastructure needs to be at the forefront of our minds, however Council’s decision to overrule its’ own planning advice and vote for an Invermay Road option that ignores bike lanes is quite unbelievable,” Mr Booth said.

“Council has been touting Launceston as a bicycle friendly city but rhetoric needs to be matched by action and Council needs to consider rescinding its decision and going with their professional planning advice to approve an option that includes bike lanes.”

“Cycling is enjoying explosive growth around the world as a healthy, social and clean form of transportation and all levels of government should be doing everything we can to encourage cyclists onto our roads and provide safe and smooth lanes for them to ride along.” “Launceston already has a serious peak hour traffic congestion problem as well as parking problems and cycles are an efficient and healthy solution to both congestion and pollution problems in our city and the Council should be pro-actively developing cycle ways wherever possible,” Mr Booth.