Bike riders in Western Sydney's suburbs and bush communities will be excited to hear of a $50 million boost planned for active transport.
A total of $14 million will be spent on 16 projects in Western Sydney under the Get NSW Active program, with another $14 million going towards upgrades in Sydney's inner and outer suburbs.
The remaining funds will be spent on building cycleways, footpaths and pedestrian bridges across regional New South Wales.
The funding aims to address missing links, dangerous intersections and unsafe pavement in the region's active transport network, encouraging more people to walk and ride rather than drive.
Major projects in Western Sydney covered by the funding include:
- $3.2 million for converting the pop-up cycleway on Wigram Street at Harris Park to a permanent cycleway, plus improving a shared path, installing new pedestrian crossings and improving footpaths.
- $2.1 million for multiple shared paths and crossings in Lalor Park that link to an existing corridor on Sunnyholt Road.
- $1.8 million for a new shared pathway in East Parade at Buxton to connect the public park to Buxton Primary School.
- $875,000 for a new shared path on Coreen Avenue, Penrith, to fill a missing link and connect North Penrith and Cranebrook to Penrith Station, the International Regatta Centre, Nepean River and Castlereagh Road.
- $450,000 to design a shared path with trees and lighting between Bailey Street and Parramatta Aquatic Centre, improving access to Westmead Public School, Westmead Station and future metro and the health precinct.
Major regional projects being funded for construction include:
- $4.9 million for a 4.6km, 3m-wide shared path along Plumpton Road between Rowan Road, Wagga Wagga and Kooringal Road, Lake Albert, including five road crossings and a pedestrian bridge at Crooked Creek.
- $3.3 million for a shared path for residents from Geneva getting to football fields, the golf course, the community gym and the showgrounds (Kyogle Council).
- $2.4 million for the Lismore Boulevard, a 6m-wide shared path through Lismore Park linking the city centre, health precinct, transport and recreational areas (Lismore City Council).
- $1.25 million for nearly 1km of new footpath from Brooke Drive and Lighthouse Road at Byron Bay to connect to the existing path at Cape Byron State Conservation Park.
A full list of recipients can be viewed on the Get NSW Active website.
Minister for Transport, John Graham, said everyone deserves travel options that are free, safe and healthy “this is what Get NSW Active funding is all about – getting people out from behind the wheel of the car and walking or riding across their neighbourhoods to connect with friends, family or get to public transport.”
"The benefits of regular walking and riding are enormous, and we are providing the infrastructure that encourages those to become a daily habit," he said.
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