Evaluation

The New South Wales Coastline Cycleway enables and encourages active living by providing a range of opportunities for cycling and walking along the coast. The program has provided significant uninterrupted stretches of high quality pathway that are ideally suited for recreational use by pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, by linking the pathway to local walking and cycling routes, coastal councils are improving the networks of paths available for residents to use for commuting or everyday travel around their towns and between key facilities.

The New South Wales Coastline Cycleway is a good example of a project that fulfils the PCAL design objective for walking and cycling routes – namely providing ‘an accessible and integrated network of walking and cycling routes for safe and convenient travel to local destinations and between key land uses within urban places’. The cycleway demonstrates the application of a number of the design considerations set out in the ‘Walking and cycling routes’ section of Designing Places for Active Living. These are illustrated below with reference to a number of recent projects funded under the New South Wales Coastline Cycleway program that demonstrate the successful application of active living principles:

• Plan and construct connected walking and cycling routes leading to local destinations and focal points such as shops, schools, parks and public transport stops.

The New South Wales Coastline Cycleway program strongly encourages the linking of focal destinations such as town centres with more outlying destinations such as schools, sports facilities and public reserves, including beaches. Many sections of the cycleway have been planned and constructed specifically to provide links between local destinations. For example:

In Ballina on the North Coast, a new section of pathway running from West Ballina to the Burns Point Ferry wharf provides access for cyclists and walkers to the ferry service that links Ballina and South Ballina. The ferry is popular with anglers, surfers and tourists and provides convenient and direct access across the Richmond River to South Ballina. The alternative route would require a 25 kilometre drive south to the nearest bridge at Wardell and through Empire Vale to South Ballina.

In the Illawarra, Wollongong City Council used New South Wales Coastline Cycleway funding to contribute to the construction of a new section of shared use pathway along the perimeter of Stuart Park, North Wollongong, running parallel with George Hanley Drive and Squires Way. Completed in 2008, this new section of path is part of a local network of walking and cycling routes connecting numerous popular destinations. The path links directly to Stuart Park – the most significant open space in the city foreshore area. It also links to the highly popular attraction of North Beach, and the natural areas of Puckey’s Estate and Fairy Creek. As such the path provides access to a significant number of recreational opportunities. For commuters, the path also connects North Wollongong with the new Innovation Campus of the University of Wollongong.

In Tweed Shire on the North Coast, a 30 kilometre section of the New South Wales Coastline Cycleway that runs from Tweed Heads to Pottsville has been constructed gradually since 1998. The path links to the major shopping areas of Tweed Centro and Tweed City at South Tweed, and to many sporting facilities in Kingscliff. It passes through a number of river foreshore and coastal foreshore parks, which provide path users with access to a wide range of active and passive recreational facilities including play areas, outdoor fitness gyms, barbeques and picnic areas. The path also provides access to the various restaurants, cafes and shops of the new Salt development, and many people use the route to cycle to these destinations from Kingscliff.

In the Eurobodalla Shire, a 9 kilometre section of the New South Wales Coastline Cycleway route connects the popular holiday towns of Dalmeny, Kianga and Narooma. The path connects a large number of local destinations and focal points, providing a useful everyday route for locals. Commercial facilities connected by the path include the shopping centre at Dalmeny, which features a small supermarket and a number of small shops, cafes and take-away outlets, and a restaurant at Kianga. The path also connects to a number of public and community facilities, from parks, beaches, boat ramps and picnic facilities, to a sporting oval and tennis courts at Dalmeny, the Dalmeny Nursing Home, Dalmeny Bowling Club and the ‘Old Fire Shed’ (a community hall), which is used by various local groups. As it also provides access to the popular Dalmeny Camping Ground, the path is also used by many visitors to access these local facilities and services.

On the Central Coast, the New South Wales Coastline Cycleway is being built to link the settlements of Woy Woy and Ettalong Beach. The first stage, from Woy Woy boat ramp at Brickwharf Road, to the Peninsular Leisure Centre is complete. This off-road route connects to on-road bicycle lanes of Brisbane Water Drive and Blackwall Road, which links to Ettalong Beach and the ‘Brisbane Water Circuit’. As well as providing off-road access to the many facilities of the Leisure Centre (including a swimming pool, gym, sauna and BBQ area), the path also links to the Woy Woy Library, Bowling Club, James Brown Oval, a children’s play area at the Woy Woy boat ramp and a range of picnic facilities, shops, pubs, cafes and public toilets. It links to Woy Woy train station, and also provides an active transport link for parents and children of Woy Woy Public School and the child care centre located at Park Road. The path also connects to the Woy Woy Ferry Wharf, which provides access to the facilities of Davistown and the Saratoga Green Point area.

• Create safe places for people to walk and cycle, which are overlooked by buildings and have clear sightlines.

The New South Wales Coastline Cycleway provides many sections of safe off-road routes along the NSW coast, which allow users to avoid traffic and potential danger on local roads. Councils are also incorporating a number of safety features into the path design and construction. For example, the new section of the New South Wales Coastline Cycleway at North Wollongong, shows how careful planning – even of a relatively short section of path can improve safety for both cyclists and pedestrians. While the existing pathway through Stuart Park is very well used, it is narrow and its popularity causes some conflict between cyclists and pedestrians. The provision of this 3.5 metre wide new path will help address this conflict, making both walking and cycling safer and more pleasant for the large numbers of people using this route. The new pathway has clear sightlines and is also overlooked– both by road users and by the adjacent houses and apartments on George Hanley Drive. The new path is likely to be perceived as safer to use than the old path as it is lit by street lights and may be more appealing to some users than the existing route through the middle of the park, which can be fairly dark at night. Along Squires Way, where the new pathway joins with the old bitumen path running into Stuart Park, a section of the old path was removed and replaced with new pathway on a slightly different alignment – the angle having been changed to improve the sightline and create a safer intersection for users on both parts of the path.

The Dalmeny to Narooma section of the path passes close to housing, shops, recreational facilities (such as the tennis courts and bowling club at Dalmeny) and other community facilities, meaning the route not only provides easy access for residents but also enables passive surveillance of the path, increasing safety for users.

In Woy Woy, the existence of a safe, off-road shared use path has made possible an innovative active living project for vision impaired people. Gosford City Council’s ‘VeloVision’ enables vision impaired people (and their sighted ‘captains’) to freely borrow a custom-made tandem bicycle from the Woy Woy branch of the Gosford City Library, for use on the nearby off-road shared paths. Launched in 2007 in partnership with Vision Australia, the scheme aims to improve the recreational options available to people who are blind or have low vision. Vision Australia see it as vital that those who are visually impaired have opportunities to exercise like everyone else. From Woy Woy Library where the tandem bicycle is borrowed, users can follow the shared path along Brick Wharf Road and the Woy Woy foreshore, and continue to the Peninsula Leisure Centre. The return trip is a 5 kilometre ride.

• Provide and maintain footpaths on all streets.

While the New South Wales Coastline Cycleway does not always follow the routes of local streets, in some sections it does provide a footpath that would otherwise be missing. This is the case for example, with the new sections of path at both Ballina and North Wollongong, and parts of the Dalmeny to Narooma path. Similarly, in Woy Woy, the route provides a footpath where there would not otherwise be one, and links to footpaths from the Peninsula Leisure Centre to the shared path network of James Brown Reserve and Trafalgar Avenue at Umina Beach.

• Create stimulating and attractive routes to encourage repeated use with careful consideration of details such directness, lighting, shade, landscaping with appropriate species choice, pavement and edge treatments.

Much of the New South Wales Coastline Cycleway follows a route that provides spectacular ocean or estuary views or travels through pleasant and attractive foreshore parks and beaches. This in itself encourages a high level of usage of the paths. For example, the Woy Woy section of path not only provides a safe link between local settlements for commuters and recreational cyclists and walkers, but also offers a pleasant and attractive route along the picturesque Brisbane Water foreshore. The Cycleway offers views of Pelican Island and Riley’s Island – nature reserves and valuable wetland habitats, with abundant birdlife. The path has been carefully designed to allow users access to the foreshore while minimising environmental impact and protecting Aboriginal middens located in the area.

The Dalmeny to Narooma path is another example of a highly attractive route. Traversing the edge of the coastal reserve, the path provides stunning coastal vistas for path users, and access to peaceful lagoons and nature reserves. It is also a significant piece of tourism infrastructure, enabling visitors to walk or cycle along the spectacular coast when they visit the area.

While the route is naturally attractive, Councils contributing to the New South Wales Coastline Cycleway have typically sought to further increase usage levels by paying attention to details of path design and construction. For example, the construction of the new section of pathway at North Wollongong saw a number of obstacles removed to create a clear and direct route for the construction of the pathway. Old garden beds were removed, street lighting poles were repositioned and park signage was moved to a new location clear of the path. The path now provides a direct and practical route, while also being an attractive route past the trees and plantings around the perimeter of Stuart Park. Pavement treatments have improved convenience and safety for users, with kerb ramps provided at two points along this section of path – these align with 3 metre openings in the road’s median kerbing in order to allow path users to cross the road. The path is also well lit by streetlights, and because it is constructed from light coloured concrete (rather than bitumen used for older paths in the area) it has a higher degree of visibility at night.

Many Councils are using New South Wales Coastal Cycleway funding to complement existing strategies as a means of delivering stimulating and attractive routes and precincts. For example, the construction of the new pathway at North Wollongong is integrated with the works that are planned to implement ‘The Blue Mile’ – Wollongong City Council’s masterplan for the upgrade of the Wollongong city foreshore between Crown Street and Stuart Park. One of the overarching objectives of the Blue Mile strategy is to improve pedestrian and cycle access to and along the foreshore[1]. The linking of the new section of pathway to both this foreshore precinct and the existing New South Wales Coastline Cycleway is key to achieving this.

• Ensure that shared paths are carefully designed with sufficient width, gentle gradients and turns and marked centrelines.

Signage and marked centrelines to promote safe use are included on many sections of the existing path. Councils are also paying careful attention to other details of path design, and are typically building wider paths than have been provided in the past, to enable shared use by cyclists and pedestrians. Much of the path is also characterised by long straight or gently curving sections with clear sightlines(16), and is either level or only gently sloping, making it ideal for children learning to ride, and parents pushing prams.

The new 742 metre long section of pathway at North Wollongong is a good example of the high-quality pathway that can be provided under the New South Wales Coastline Cycleway program. This path has been carefully designed and constructed with attention to details including the path surface, width and alignment. It is 3.5m wide and has been constructed from 150mm thick concrete. It has gentle gradients, generous turns and clear sightlines. A number of obstacles were removed to create a clear route for the construction of the pathway – old garden beds were removed, street lighting poles were repositioned and park signage was moved to a new location clear of the path. The path is well lit by streetlights and provides a direct and practical route, while also being an attractive route past the trees and plantings around the perimeter of Stuart Park. At two points along this section of path there are kerb ramps aligned with 3 metre openings in the road’s median kerbing to allow path users to cross the road.

The new section of pathway at Woy Woy has also been constructed to a high standard. It is 3 metres wide, and has been constructed in an ochre coloured concrete with grey edging to provide a clear edge for those that are vision impaired. One section of the path is a boardwalk over an area of seagrass, and has been constructed from anti-slip recycled plastic material to provide a safe surface for cyclists and people in wheelchairs while also allowing UV light through to the grasses.

• Connect local walking and cycling networks to regional routes linking centres and facilities.

The New South Wales Coastline Cycleway program seeks to direct funding towards extending existing cycleways, and completing ‘missing links’ in existing regional networks.

For example, the new section of path in the Eurobodalla Shire builds on existing sections of pathway north of Dalmeny and south of Kianga to connect these small settlements with each other and also to provide a link to the many shops and facilities in the larger town of Narooma.

In Tweed Shire, the New South Wales Coastline Cycleway links a number of coastal settlements in the region, including Pottsville, Hastings Point and Cabarita. To the north it runs through the new oceanfront development Salt, and on to the towns of Kingscliff and Tweed Heads. One final section of the path, through an area of land known as Seaside City (just south of Salt) is currently under development – once complete this will create a continuous link from Tweed Heads to Pottsville. The northern point of this section of the pathway will soon link with the South East Queensland cycle network, providing regional links to the Gold Coast and beyond.

The new section of pathway at North Wollongong not only connects a number of local destinations, but also links at either end to the existing regional off-road shared use pathways. The path provides a link northwards to the suburbs, shops and facilities of Towradgi and Corrimal, and south to the cafes and recreational facilities of North Wollongong beach and Wollongong Harbour. The pathway is also part of the main regional north-south cycleway that runs almost 40 kilometres from Thirroul in the North to Cringila and Unanderra in the South.

On the Central Coast, the New South Wales Coastline Cycleway not only links various local facilities in Woy Woy, but also continues as an offroad route that runs for approximately 12 kilometres to the larger centre of Gosford. The path provides access to the Woy Woy Ferry Wharf, from where walkers can cross to join a popular local walking route known as the Illoura Walk, which runs along the Cockle Channel foreshore in Davistown.