Council has heard community concerns about bikes speeding on shared paths, cases where the path is not being shared, and reports of dogs off leash on shared paths.

After installing safety message decals along shared paths and introducing the characters Kai and Zara via the council’s social media in 2022 and 2023, we are now seeking feedback on the recent shared path safety awareness campaign and what the use of shared paths should look like to the community into the future.

• Bike riders must always give way to pedestrians on footpaths and shared paths?
• Children aged 12 years or younger can ride on footpaths and people older than this may ride on a footpath if they are riding with a child aged 12 or younger?
• You can only use a mobile phone if it is ‘hand-free’? Pull over if you need to call or text.
• Wearing bright or light coloured clothing and reflective strips, and using front and rear bike lights can improve your safety during daylight and at night?
• Bike riders must follow all the same road rules as motorists when riding on the road?
• Vehicles must leave more than 1m distance from the riders on roads with speeds below 60 km/h or 1.5m minimum on roads over 60km/h?
• Cyclists can legally take up an entire traffic lane, which may be the safest option on narrow roads where there is no bike lane present or where there is not enough space for another vehicle to overtake a bicycle safely within the lane?

For this project we will be engaging our community at the level of Consult on the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) Spectrum.
This means that we will keep you informed, listen to and acknowledge concerns and aspirations, and provide feedback on how you might influence the decision.