Feeling safe on the Intercity Cycleway is crucial if people are going to use it.
After hearing about an unsettling experience from a local rider recently, we thought it was time to gather people’s perceptions of the Cycleway.
From time to time we hear of anti-social behaviour along the Cycleway but haven’t gathered these reports in one place to determine what could be done in response.
We’ve set up a survey you can fill out to let us know how safe you feel when using the Cycleway.
We’re also putting up the survey’s QR code along the Cycleway and will keep these signs up for about three months.
At the end of the survey period we’ll collate the anonymous responses and send through to Glenorchy and Hobart councils, Tasmania Police and any other relevant stakeholders.
Paths with no or intermittent passive surveillance from roads present personal security challenges for users.
There are ways to mitigate some of these issues though, such as
- lighting or lighting that eliminates blind spots and better illuminates surroundings
- cutting back vegetation or removing clutter for clearer sightlines
- greater ability to escape by widening the path or creating cycle-friendly exit points
- Clear signage indicating exit points and encouraging reports of illegal behaviour
- regular presence of police and council staff
- installation of CCTV
- organisation of night-time bike buses.
Female riders in particular can feel vulnerable on paths that feel cut off from help, especially when our winters are dark at the times women may commonly be commuting to and from work.
The high fencing along the Cycleway doesn’t help the feeling of being trapped on the path. The government could take over management of the rail corridor from TasRail and remove the need for the fencing, but has chosen to wait until the rapid bus project is further progressed. The current fencing doesn’t meet Australian guidelines so should be replaced regardless.
To take the survey visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/STSLJWF
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