<< Peninsula News 4 June 2002 - Cycle path not heavily used route >>

Cycle path not heavily used route

As an active cyclist, surfboard rider, sailor and daily runner, I do not understand why there is such a push by Council to ensure that a concrete path cuts through the Peninsula's grassed waterfront reserves.

When I am on my surfboard, I do not expect swimmers to clear a path for me while they swim in the flagged area allocated for their particular enjoyment.

So what justifies concrete cutting through the waterfront reserves?

Recreational cyclists are the only cyclists likely to use the path.

The path is not consistent with heavily used transport routes nor would the meandering nature of the path be suitable for serious cyclists.

The gradient of some parts of the Woy Woy Reserve would mean that the path has to snake across the entire reserve to meet council standards.

That means even more concrete.

Since recreational cyclists already use the reserve, as do the elderly and disabled, I cannot understand the Council's logic.

Nor do I understand any councillor seeking justification for her position in berating the cycleway opponents on the basis of an isolated letter, which is not representative of the general view expressed by Peninsula residents in a petition.

Are councillors so sure that their view is so superior that it is the only suitable one for residents on the Peninsula?

I have a young son who is just about to walk.

I feel safe when I take my son to the Woy Woy Reserve because there is no concrete and the grass keeps cyclists moving at a slower pace.

The absence of a fixed path also encourages cyclists to go around small children and others who need protection.

Children love running to the birds they discover along the water's edge.

I want my son to do the same.

The simple freedom of the near natural reserve allows him to already enjoy birds on the grass, in the trees, nesting along the water's edge, as well as the stingrays and fish moving through the water.

Through his eyes I have an added appreciation for the wonders of what we have.

Is Council considering cyclists?

I am a cyclist and I do not want a concrete path on the waterfront reserves.

I do not live on the waterfront.

Bernhard Freisler, Ettalong