As the Newcastle CBD skyline continues to grow exponentially, those in the area will begin to experience strain in relation to parking facilities. The city has turned into a construction site bustling with developments and high rise bringing with it the promise of new businesses and residential buildings. Whilst the changes are exciting for the health of the city's economy, the lack of consideration for the already difficult parking is of paramount concern.
The Newcastle City Council has begun to address the future inconvenience by urging the public to consider alternative means of transport to and from the workplace by devising the Cycle Safe Network; a yet to be funded plan that will enable residents to be within a few hundred metres of a safe cycleway. Active transport like this provides a healthy alternative to the usual car commute.
With the University of Newcastle's Business and Law precinct moving into their city campus at the commencement of next semester, these alternative means of transport are becoming more imperative than ever. Owner of Metro Cycles, Bernard Hockings has noticed a change in the nature of his regular customers, with an increasing rate of student's, not just recreational cyclists. He claims Newcastle is becoming a "cycling city" as residents are beginning to find parking nearly impossible. A recent survey of regional NSW demonstrates the area's higher than average participation rate in this activity, with 16.3% of residents claiming to have cycled in the past week.
The Government and City Council are being urged to consider the impending traffic and parking concerns associated with extensive construction around the CBD to avoid future havoc.
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| Newcastle Cycleways Movement |
