More cycleways the solution to Hobart’s e-scooter menace, cyclists insist

RACT has thrown their weight behind e-scooter share paths as the solution to lessen the angst felt by pedestrians attempting to navigate Hobart’s crowded footpaths. HAVE YOUR SAY >>

RACT has thrown their weight behind e-scooter share paths as the solution to lessen the angst felt by pedestrians attempting to navigate Hobart’s crowded footpaths.

Chief advocacy officer Garry Bailey said the time was ripe to put pressure on the government for more cycleway network funding, which has been “underinvested” in for decades.

“We don’t really have a joined up separated bike system - it’s in bits and pieces at the moment,” Mr Bailey said.

“The responsibility rests not with the Hobart City Council or Launceston City Council but the other levels of government as well, and there’s no better time to start seeking funding for these infrastructure programs than a federal election.”

Breaking News Breaking News Hobart mayor Anna Reynolds and RACT's Garry Bailey. Picture: Kenji Sato

In the meantime, Mr Bailey said he’d like to see e-scooter users parking more responsibly instead of strewing them over the footpath.

Hobart mayor Anna Reynolds admitted the early days e-scooter trial had proved troublesome for some pedestrians, which only strengthened the case for better cycleways.

CCTV footage captures e-scooter collision on Sandy Bay Road

Councillor Reynolds said this year they’d be rolling out 1.7km of separated cycle lanes at Argyle Street, Campbell Street, Melville Street, and Bathurst Street.

“The introduction of the scooters has demonstrated these two-wheeled vehicles need more space on our roads,” Cr Reynolds said.

“The footpaths aren’t ideal, the major roads aren’t ideal, we do need these separated specialised cycleways to allow for the growth of both scooters but also bike and other smaller mobility options.”

Breaking News Breaking News Hobart mayor Anna Reynolds and RACT's Garry Bailey. Picture: Kenji Sato

Cr Jeff Briscoe said this idea was all well and good in theory, but it was slow, expensive, and would take carparking spaces away from the inner city.

Cr Briscoe said the Campbell Street cycleway had spent two years stuck in the planning and discussion phase, with construction work yet to even begin.

“Retrofitting the city with cycleways is problematic. It’s possible, but requires a lot of planning and money,” Cr Briscoe said.

“It’s a long-term solution, but in the short-term it’s not a solution at all and for the next two-three years we’ll have these e-scooters on our footpaths.”

Cycleways: The solution to Hobart’s e-scooter woes?

MORE bike lanes are the solution to stop Hobart’s footpaths being used by e-scooters, cyclists insist.

Bicycle Network Tasmania’s Alison Hetherington said it was a win-win solution that would keep e-scooter riders off the footpath and keep pedestrians safer from potential accidents.

“I think a lot of the angst people are feeling is because of the crowdedness of the footpaths with all the various users, so that’s another reason to fast track the rollout of cycleways,” she said.

“A lot of people would like to ride but don’t feel safe mixing with traffic, so we have to build a network that means the majority of people who want to ride can ride.”

E-scooter paths

However, she said government funding for cycleways came in dribs and drabs, making it hard for council to plan ahead and make a proper interlinking network in Hobart.

Hobart City councillor Bill Harvey said more people needed to ditch their cars and hop on alternative modes of transport, such as a bicycle or e-scooter.

Mr Harvey said if anything they should pause the “car trial”, which had been the cause of crashes, pollution, and a range of social ills.

“What we’ve got is a car issue in Hobart, it’s not an issue with bikes and scooters. The problem we have is bikes and scooters haven’t got enough space,” Mr Harvey said.

“It’s time that we started sharing the roads with bikes and scooters and that would require removing car parking strategically to allow more safer cycle paths in the city.”

Mr Harvey said Hobart needed a continuous cycle network throughout Greater Hobart linking South Hobart with the rest of the city and back.

However, alderman Marti Zucco vehemently disagreed with the idea, saying it was “absolutely fallacious” to believe that cycleways would cure Hobart’s e-scooter woes.

He said e-scooters were already banned from footpaths in Melbourne, but were still causing crashes and headaches for pedestrians.

“More bike lanes are not the solution to e-scooters because there are already cities around the world with far better bike lanes, but e-scooters are still causing massive problems,” Ald Zucco said.

“Bike lanes are not the be-all-and-end-all solution for Hobart, it is only a small component.”

Mr Zucco said if anything cyclists should be made to pay a registration fee just like cars and motorbikes, instead of simply getting a free ride.

He said council should look at “holistic” ways of getting around, including electric motorbikes and public transport such as ferries.

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