A shared path will be added to Lighthouse Road in Byron Bay to give bike riders and walkers a safe way to reach Cape Byron Lighthouse, the most easterly point of Australia.
Although the location is a world-famous tourist destination, there is no footpath or bike lane on the road to the lighthouse.
The many walkers, runners and riders who currently tackle the assent have a perilous journey along the climb, mixing it with unpredictible tourist traffic on the narrow road and gravel shoulder.
It is way past time for active people to have a safe way to make the trip to the top.
Byron Shire Council has endorsed plans for an 850m shared pedestrian and bike path stretching from Brooke Drive to the lighthouse precinct near the lookout to Tallow Beach.
The council faced the challenging task of fitting a shared path into the narrow roadway through steep terrain, which is just 1.8 metres wide in some sections.
But cleverly, the shared path is for uphill riding only: on the way down riders will share the road with cars.
As regular riders know, travelling downhill cars will not try to pass people on bikes as speeds are more uniform.
The project is from Brookes Road down in the town up to the Tallow Ridge Track. From there to the top pedestrians already have an upgraded path and riders will share the previously upgraded road.
The council is intending to impose a 30km/h speed limit along Lighthouse Road after the upgrade, as several road crossings are included in the project.
The council is again seeking state government funding for the project. A previous bid was rejected but changes to the project made at the government’s request seem to have overcome any hurdles.
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