(10/9/2019) Freo Bike Plan formally adopted

A new plan designed to encourage more people in Fremantle to ride a bike more often has been formally adopted by Fremantle Council.

The City of Fremantle’s Bike Plan 2019-2024 will set the City’s priorities for bike infrastructure projects, programs and promotional activities for the next five years.

Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said the goal was to make Fremantle a more pedestrian and cycle friendly city.

“Our Integrated Transport Strategy set a target that by 2030 Fremantle should have a connected, safe and seamless bicycle network that encourages cycling to be a convenient, every day choice for how to move around Fremantle,” Mayor Pettitt said.

“At the heart of the Bike Plan is a low speed core in the city centre where cars, bikes and pedestrians all share the space.

“The city centre and other activity areas are then connected by a network of primary and secondary routes along which people of all ages and abilities can feel safe to ride a bike. 

“We’ve seen examples across the world where encouraging cycling and shared spaces has created safer and more attractive and liveable communities.

“The centre of Fremantle was originally designed to be a walkable city, so it makes a lot of sense to make it easier for people to leave the car at home and ride a bike instead.

“In recent years we’ve had a steady rise in the number of people cycling in Fremantle, with a 13 per cent increase in people riding in a recent city centre bike count.

“People riding to and from work sits at around 3.1 per cent but there is lots of room to expand this and get more people on bikes more often.”

The Bike Plan was informed by a community engagement process undertaken late last year in which residents were asked to share their experiences of cycling around Fremantle and identify areas where bike facilities were good or needed improvement. 

The plan identifies four primary routes that connect major destinations such as the Fremantle and Perth city centres and four secondary routes connecting activity centres like shopping areas, schools and sporting facilities as priorities.

It also outlines planned infrastructure upgrades including more green bike lanes along on Parry Street and William Street, improvements to on-road bikes lanes on Marine Terrace and an upgrade to the intersection of Queen Victoria Street and Parry Street.

The City will also continue to participate in initiatives like the Department of Transport’s ‘Your Move’ program and Bike Week to encourage more cycling.

To read the Bike Plan click here.