Released 14/07/2022
Active travel is a fundamental part of the ACT Government’s plans to improve liveability and sustainability of our city. That’s why we are seeking community input on a new Active Travel Plan exploring how to enable more Canberrans to ride, walk, scoot and skate more often.
“This draft plan is about encouraging more Canberrans to walk or ride more often and improving our city’s quality of life,” said Minister for Transport and City Services Chris Steel.
“The first priority in the plan is safe infrastructure for walking and cycling, separated from cars. We think that this is the fundamental barrier to getting more people active, walking and riding in Canberra.”
The Draft Plan outlines ways to make it safer, more accessible, convenient and enjoyable to choose walking, cycling or micromobility – whether for commuting, exercising or socialising.
“We’re also proposing to prioritise better walking and cycling connections, secure bike parking and a range of targeted programs to encourage people to use active travel and public transport more often,” said Minister Steel
“We want to hear from Canberrans on the priorities outlined in this draft plan. We also want to know the gaps or hotspots in our city’s cycling and walking networks that most need to be improved to make active travel easier and more attractive.
“We particularly want to hear from people who aren’t walking or cycling regularly at the moment. What would it take to get you out of the car, not just on your morning commute, but on a local trip on the weekend?”
A detailed best-practice design guide for safe and people-friendly streets is also in the final stages of development and will be released as part of the consultation. This will set out the new design expectations for Canberra’s streets to support walking and cycling in key parts of the city. It will go above and beyond minimum safety standards, employed in the past, which often lag best practice.
“In the future Canberrans can expect to see significant changes to the design of key streets and intersections that make them more reminiscent of European cities – which are safe to walk and cycle,” said Minister Steel.
Canberrans can have their say on the draft Active Travel Plan by heading to the YourSay Conversations website.
Feedback can be submitted by taking a short survey, sending us a submission or voting for your preferred active travel path priorities through the interactive active travel map.
“Active travel is key to enhancing the quality of life in our city and improving the health and wellbeing of Canberrans. Building a walkable and cycle-friendly city will help to reduce congestion and cut harmful emissions. It benefits all Canberrans, no matter how you move around,” Minister Steel said.
The survey is open until 24 August.
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Chris Steel, MLA | Media Releases