Barriers to separate cyclists from cars, pedestrians in cycling route

Transport Minister Chris Steel said it was hoped the barriers would make it safer for walking and cycling.

"What we're attempting to do with these new cycle path connections is provide safe separated or protected cycleways for Canberrans to use and we hope that will see a change with more people taking up walking and cycling," he said.

"It will provide a physical barrier between pedestrians and cyclists and vehicles on the roadway and that's really important to encourage that take up of active travel."

But the city's largest cycling advocacy organisation has said a lack of adequate funding for network upgrades has scuttled the safety and convenience of Canberra's cycling network.

"Research shows that safe and convenient infrastructure is the largest barrier to people using active travel for transport. While Canberra has historically had some of the best infrastructure in Australia, this network is poorly maintained and has large gaps," Pedal Power executive director Simon Copland said.

"We are far behind the stated goals of this government, and lack of adequate funding is largely to blame."

The first stage of the Garden City Cycling route will connect Watson to Braddon. The government has pledged more than $10 million to the project in the upcoming ACT budget.

The federal government has previously allocated $5 million to the cycling path.

The government will be consulting on the project in July. Mr Steel said the route would run through different streets and parks along Watson, Downer, Hackett, Dickson, Ainslie and Braddon.

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He said most of the cycling route would not be built on roadways.

"Most of the paths will be built on the verge so it won't mean taking away from the road way," Mr Steel said.

"Depending on the street there will be different treatments.

"It could be a protected cycle path that has a small barrier between the road and the cycle way, it could mean a totally separated path that's a couple of metres away from the roadway or it may mean a shared active street on particular streets where there isn't room to put in that protected or separated infrastructure."

A separated cycling route is unlikely to be built on Northbourne Avenue while there are major construction works taking place along the avenue.

"We also know that if we did want to put in further separated cycleways, we'd have to take away a roadway and just at the moment when there's a significant amount of disruption that's happening in the CBD ... we simply can't afford to lose the capacity of a lane on Northbourne Avenue," Mr Steel said.

The funding for the Garden City Cycling route is part of a $26 million package to upgrade parts of Canberra's walking and cycling network.

Pedal Power welcomed the funding but said it was not enough and the capital was falling behind other cities in Australia.

"The funding announced today is welcome. All of the projects are integral to improving active travel infrastructure in Canberra," Mr Copland said.

"However, while welcome, this money is simply not enough. Due to a lack of proper funding Canberra is now falling behind other cities in Australia and around the world when it comes to active travel."

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