Geelong and Bellarine Peninsula is looking to become a great place for all-ages bike riding, embarking this week on the development of a Regional Trails Strategy.
The regional has several mature trails, including along sections of the Barwon River, and the still developing rail trail to Queenscliff.
But it is far from a complete network, with important connections missing and some major attractions and population centres with next to nothing in the way of off-road bike infrastructure.
With the region set to grow rapidly in future years there are whole new suburbs being planned for which there is an opportunity to provide great riding facilities from day one.
The initiative by the City of Greater Geelong is aimed at have connected walking and bike riding (and in some cases, horse riding) trails spanning the whole region.
Consultants AECOM are working on technical assessments while the City has opened up a web-based platform to enable public input into the crafting of the strategy.
Visit geelongaustralia.com.au/yoursay to find out more.
Make sure you explore the map on the consultation platform and add you suggestions and comments.
The more input the City can capture the more comprehensive the strategy will be.
The new network will be built on the foundations of the existing Principal Pedestrian and Bike Networks.
Strategies are important because they not only identify communities needs for active transport connections, they also can establish priorities and dependencies to guide the sequencing of investment so that the most riders are attracted for the least cost.
You can have your say by taking part in the online forum, or by visiting one of the City's Customer Service Centres.
If you would like to meet and talk to City officers in person, there are a number of pop-up sessions being held around the region between 9am to 1pm at locations listed below:
- 13 July, 2019 - Shell Road Pavilion, 50 Shell Road, Ocean Grove
- 18 July, 2019 - Leopold Library, 31-39 Kensington Road, Leopold
- 25 July, 2019 - Armstrong Creek Community Hub, 46-70 Central Bvd, Armstrong Creek
- 1 August, 2019 - Revitalising Central Geelong, 108 Moorabool Street, Geelong
- 8 August, 2019 - Bellarine Community Health Centre, 39 Fenwick Street, Portarlington
- 10 August, 2019 - Waurn Ponds Library, (meeting room) 230 Pioneer Road, Grovedale
- 15 August, 2019 - Lara Hall, 1B Flinders Ave, Lara
- 22 August, 2019 - Fort Youth Centre, Cnr Melbourne and St. George Rds, Norlane
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