Greenway proposal for Haberfield

slowK
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Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby slowK » Mon Aug 24, 2015 9:12 pm

Leichhardt council has proposed upgrading the cycle path along Hawthorne Canal, between Marion St and Parramatta Rd in Haberfield (between Marion and Taverners Hill light rail stations).

Last week some proposal signs were place along the track by the Council showing their plans.

It involves:

1. widening the path to 3m
2. improving the lighting along this section and installing more benches/rest stations
3. levelling the path so gradients are less steep to meet accessibility standards

In order to widen the path, council have marked 47 large fig trees between the path and the adjacent light rail line to be cut down. They are all currently marked with paint and stickers. This will significantly reduce (pretty much remove) the leafy canopy that currently covers the path.

For those who cycle along this path, do you think it needs widening in this section? It is already wider than other sections that see more bike and pedestrian traffic (e.g. the continuation of bike path north of Marion St towards the Bay Run, or the Bay Run along the City West Link). One of the really nice things about this section is riding under the lovely canopy of trees, and this would be removed for the sake of a path that will be about 50cm wider. I ride here with our kids regularly, and have never thought it was too narrow, especially considering the light usage it gets.

I'm all for better cycling infrastructure, but it doesn't seem very "green" to destroy 47 lovely trees for very little benefit in this section of the Greenway.

Conflict of interest: our house backs onto the canal and bike path in the affected section. Removing these trees will remove sound and visual barriers between us and the light rail line. For selfish reasons, we'd much rather look at beautiful green trees and listen to the birds that live in them, than the light rail, or have all the train passengers looking into our bedroom.

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find_bruce
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Re: Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby find_bruce » Mon Aug 24, 2015 9:37 pm

I frequently ride in the area, but almost never along that section, mainly because it doesn't go anywhere useful

slowK
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Re: Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby slowK » Mon Aug 24, 2015 11:28 pm

find_bruce wrote:I frequently ride in the area, but almost never along that section, mainly because it doesn't go anywhere useful
Yep - it's quiet as it just peters out at Parramatta Road. Which makes spending $400000 and cutting down 47 big trees to widen this little section seem nonsensical.

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grimbo
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Re: Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby grimbo » Tue Aug 25, 2015 12:42 pm

I really love this bit of path. Yes, it is narrow, uneven and ragged around the edges, but it's so green and quiet and peaceful. I'd be really happy if they fixed the path but left everything else untouched.
"If I can bicycle, I bicycle" ~David Attenborough

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Re: Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby SteveTheTiger » Thu Aug 27, 2015 2:59 pm

Shouldn't they be spending that money on extending this path through to Cooks River?

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mikesbytes
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Re: Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby mikesbytes » Thu Aug 27, 2015 3:22 pm

SteveTheTiger wrote:Shouldn't they be spending that money on extending this path through to Cooks River?
That has been proposed for as long as I can remember. There has been suggestions of building a path under Paramatta rd, but it doesn't meet the water/bridge clearance policy or something
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby find_bruce » Thu Aug 27, 2015 6:00 pm

Leichhardt council won't be spending any money south of Parramatta Rd, because that is the council boundary.

Part of the issue is that the proposed path goes through Leichhardt, Ashfield & Marrickville Councils

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mikesbytes
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Re: Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby mikesbytes » Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:55 pm

If an underbridge can be built within the rules, then it would need to be state funded, as you rightly point out, its between 2 councils
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby roberto73 » Sun Sep 06, 2015 4:42 pm

Looks like the Ashfield residents opposite win, Leichhardt Council says now that it will not cut down all those figs. The residents were apparently promised by the State Govt that they would not be removed when the light rail was put in. Leichhardt reckons they did not know about this promise (!), but the residents do have a point anyway, they would lose their green leafy outlook, at least in short term.

Leichhardt is looking at new path surfaces and subsoil drainage that encourage the fig tree roots to stay deep and not ruin the path, as they have done regularly, requiring constant repaving. An alternative is a boardwalk of some kind but they say that would be 3 times more expensive than the new path treatment. Might be cheaper in the long run, if those roots, plus the casuarinas, destroy the new path.
There is a public meeting on the 22/9 I think to discuss the latest options.

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Re: Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby slowK » Sun Sep 06, 2015 6:17 pm

That's a very interesting update Roberto - thanks for posting. Do you have a source?

Roots will be an ongoing issue for any path with trees nearby - the section north of Marion St is worse in this regard, for example.

Meeting is this Sat at Leichhardt town Hall, 10.30am.

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Re: Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby roberto73 » Sun Sep 06, 2015 7:40 pm

I spoke to Sandra Chin, whose name is on the council website page dealing with this project.
http://www.leichhardt.nsw.gov.au/About- ... ion-Street" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yep, meeting on 12/9, Leichhardt Town Hall.

they budgeted $400K for this project, including removal of many big figs, which compares to only another 400 K for their entire new bike plan this year. State Govt should fund the Greenway anyway.

slowK
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Re: Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby slowK » Mon Sep 07, 2015 2:15 pm

Thanks roberto.

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Re: Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby brokenbus » Mon Sep 07, 2015 5:02 pm

Our council installed raised paths over the fig root systems. Not sure if this link will work you might have to spin it around https://www.google.com.au/maps/(AT)-32.181 ... 312!8i6656" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Image

slowK
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Re: Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby slowK » Sun Sep 13, 2015 7:55 pm

My wife went to the meeting yesterday. Leichhardt Council has altered the plans so that only 10 smaller trees will be cut down instead of 47 large fig trees.

A sensible outcome - good news!

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Re: Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby JoshGray » Fri Oct 02, 2015 12:47 pm

I ride it daily as part of my commute. By far the biggest problem is off leash dogs and their abusive owners. Repeated calls to Leichhardt council gets me no further than "we don't have enough rangers". Can't see any benefit to making it wider and or flatter. What alternative will be offered during any works?

Note that you can cross Parramatta road by using the ramp up to the over pass or by taking the lift up to the light rail station and continue along the canal to Summer Hill

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Re: Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby mikesbytes » Fri Oct 02, 2015 8:46 pm

Hey Josh, I've noticed that part of Cooks river has signs advising that dogs are to be on leashes. Perhaps the part you are having the problems on should also have the signs
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Greenway proposal for Haberfield

Postby roberto73 » Sun Oct 04, 2015 2:14 pm

JoshGray wrote: What alternative will be offered during any works?

Note that you can cross Parramatta road by using the ramp up to the over pass or by taking the lift up to the light rail station and continue along the canal to Summer Hill
When it was closed before, for the Light Rail works, cyclists were detoured to Hawthorne Parade. Another alternative is to go up to Tebbutt St and use Lords Rd/Flood/Allen/Moore/ Catherine/ Brenan to get through Leichhardt if heading for the City. Cuts out Lilyfield Rd Hill at least.

Heading home you can use Tebbutt, cross P'tta Rd at lights and then left into Old Canterbury Rd through to Railway Pde/ Longport St to get to Lewisham or Summer Hill. Use footpaths (some sections are shared paths) if traffic too scary.

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