Perth Bicycle Network Grants 2008-2009

[rolandp]

Each year, DPI allocates funds to improve the PBN which can be found here - PBN Grants 2008-2009.

With 2008/09 rapidly about to finish, it is time to reflect on these grants and to acknowledge the Councils who have used these grants successfully. However, as we don't all ride in these areas, please take a look at the list and hopefully we can get a comprehensive list of areas that have been completed. For example, the areas I am aware that have been completed are:

Swan River Foreshore, Riverside Dr, Perth - $126,000 - Upgrade existing path to provide new pedestrian path and separated cycle path
Believe this has been undertaken - there is a separated cycle path on some sections - don't ride this way each day so can only reflect on what there is now, compared to 12 months ago

Sir James Mitchell Park, South Perth - $97,615 - Install new pedestrian path and upgrade existing recreational shared path
Believe this has been undertaken - there is a separated cycle path on some sections - don't ride this way each day so can only reflect on what there is now, compared to 12 months ago

Additional information on the Local Government grants can be found here.

Use this chain to indicate which areas you are aware have been completed.

[pickle]

They upgraded the path on riverside drive? I haven't noticed anything and I ride down there at least once a week for the past couple of years. Maybe I'm just unobservant.

The upgrades in South Perth are marvelous, I wish they'd just gone all the way up to the causeway.

[rustguard]

I'm not sure how it fits in with council grants but I have noticed quite a few median strips at pedestrian crossings have had a path sunk so there is a cutout the same height as the road. a few at psp crossings. while maybe not the greatest thing for cycling I think all users with wheels (prams, mobility, cyclists) would benifit in ease of use. for me it shows the government is more focused on other road users, not just cars.

[cavebear2]

There just seems to be too many new concrete shared paths.

[paul33]

I also haven't noticed the "upgrade" along Riverside drive.

I contacted the PCC and got the run around and the person I need to talk to has left the building

I have left my number for Michael Priest and hopefully I can post an update on the PSP

[rolandp]

Majority rules , the work on Riverside Drive is incomplete. Shame, this is 12% of the $1M grants.

What I want to do is create a Google Map which shows where the work for the grants are, and if they have been completed. The process has started but I didn't get time to complete last night due to manually having to copy each cell from the PDF document into Excel. This has now been completed, and I only need to get the co-ordinates and will be able to complete the map, and spend a little time on Icons to display Complete, Incomplete, Unknown. The link provided has the first 15 grants, and hopeful to complete the remaining tonight.

Please post updates on each of the grants listed in the DPI PDF so that Council's who have used the grants can be identified. I don't have knowledge of all these areas and need your assistance to complete.

[Aushiker]

What I want to do is create a Google Map which shows where the work for the grants are, and if they have been completed. The process has started but I didn't get time to complete last night due to manually having to copy each cell from the PDF document into Excel. This has now been completed, and I only need to get the co-ordinates and will be able to complete the map, and spend a little time on Icons to display Complete, Incomplete, Unknown. The link provided has the first 15 grants, and hopeful to complete the remaining tonight.

Please post updates on each of the grants listed in the DPI PDF so that Council's who have used the grants can be identified. I don't have knowledge of all these areas and need your assistance to complete.

Nice work Roland.

Andrew

[CycleSnail]

Thanks, Roland, another great map!!!
The Bassendean project along Collier Road (concrete path...) has been done.
Regards,
Heinrich

[gclark8]

Thanks, Roland, another great map!!!
The Bassendean project along Collier Road (concrete path...) has been done.
Regards,
Heinrich

A bit still missing, Iolanthe st to the railway crossing!!

[paul33]

I had a chat to the PCC this morning and works on Riverside Drive should commence in about 4 - 6 weeks depending on the weather.
A path along the river edge as per near the rowing shed is proposed

[rolandp]

Map has been updated to show all items, though the status's may not be correct at this time. I still need to get better images for the status of the grants.

Keep the updates coming, I'll try to update daily. Thanks for the comments back.

PS couldn't agree more about the number of concrete paths, I'm sure I saw a document recently indicating the requirement to move away from this, as well as, some of the grants shown are for installation of asphalt - for example "City of Melville $32,500 Upgrade existing path to red asphalt recreational shared path (length: 220m)".

[rolandp]

Map has been updated to show status correctly. Current summary of data:
Complete - 3 - $170,455
Incomplete - 1 - $126,000
Unknown - 48 - $671,051

Help to identify if the work has been completed, by posting to this topic. There has to be more than 3.

[paul33]

Town of Victoria Park - $50000 - Status Unknown
Roberts Road, Carlisle Orrong Road to Miller Street
Complete

Town of Victoria Park - $10000 - Status Unknown
Various locations within Victoria Park Replacement
Unknown

Town of Victoria Park - $10000 - Status Unknown
All Schools in Victoria Park Municipality Victoria
Undertaken at EVP school

[rolandp]

Current status after Paul33's updates:
Summary of data
Complete - 5 - $230,455
Incomplete - 1 - $126,000
Unknown - 46 - $671,051

We're almost at the 1/4 way mark on identifying grants which have been completed (based on the value of the grant). Google Map has been updated. Keep them coming.

[rolandp]

A new category has been added to show items which have been started, but are not complete. At least four of the PBN paths have been built, but no legal markings have been added to show that they can be used by bicycles. I also wanted to add an additional category 'Why is this being considered/built' but decided not.

Google Map of DPI BPN 2008/09 Grants has been updated. Please keep the status of the grants rolling in. Images were provided have also been added.
Summary of data
Complete - 5 - $230,455
Incomplete - 6 - $108,373
Unstarted - 1 - $126,000
Unknown - 40 - $502,678

We're at the half way mark at identifying if the 2008/09 grants have been completed.

[rolandp]

Picked up several more status's today with the summary of data being:
Complete - 13 - $364,277
Incomplete - 8 - $154,873
Unstarted - 3 - $173,101
Unknown - 28 - $275,255

Also found the Town of Cambridge Local Bike Plan (PDF 13.5Mb) with was one of the three Councils who were undertaking a local bike plan this year.

If you rode past any of these locations over the week-end, please provide an update. We're at the 3/4's mark in identifying if the grants have been completed. Check out the Google Map of DPI BPN 2008/09 Grants to see which items remain, or to see which Council's are complete.

[chuckchunder]

City of Gosnells
Harmony Fields, Maddington
Alcock Street
Install 1 Cora Rack
Grant - $1000
Installed

cheers

glen

[rolandp]

Thanks ChuckChunder, Google Maps has been updated. We are now below the $200,000 mark in identifying what grants have been spent. Summary of data
Complete - 17 - $460,827
Incomplete - 8 - $154,873
Unstarted - 3 - $173,101
Unknown - 24 - $178,705

I have used aerials from LandGate's website, to see if I can spot if major path developments have occured. So have marked:
City of Subiaco - $45750 - Rosalie Park, Shenton Park - Upgrade existing path to red asphalt recreational shared path (length: 390m)
City of Rockingham - $47700 - Warnbro Sound Avenue, Port Kennedy - Install new concrete shared path (length: 1060m)
as being completed. If anyone would like to disagree, please shout now.

[rolandp]

Getting close to identifying all the grants. Results are:
Summary of data
Complete - 21 - $514,610
Incomplete - 9 - $178,273
Unstarted - 6 - $220,801
Unknown - 16 - $53,822

It is good that over 50% of the allocated grants have been completed, but there is at least $220,801 of grants which have not been started, and an other $178,273 which are incomplete (largely as they do not have legal signage so no go for bikes until completed).

Have a look at Google Map of DPI BPN 2008/09 Grants to see if your Council has completed the grants in your area to improve the cycling infrastructure.

[rolandp]

The financial year finishes tonight with the summary of data being:
Complete - 23 - $518,176
Incomplete - 9 - $178,273
Unstarted - 8 - $225,301
Unknown - 12 - $45,756
Results can be found on Google Maps.

I also forwarded onto BikeWest yesterday the link and asked what happened to the incomplete funding and a couple of other questions. The response back did not specifically answer my questions but I was able to speak to BikeWest with additional information about the grants being:

The local Council generally matches the amount of the grant - so if the grant is for $50,000, the local Council will have also contributed $50,000.
The grants are generally not carried over to the next financial year.
The grants are generally not paid for by BikeWest until BikeWest has been assured that there are bike signage etc.

So for example, the Unstarted items which are shown as $225,301, this actually means that 2 x $225,301 = $450,602 has not been spent on budgeted cycling infrastructure for 2008/09. This budgeted expenditure is generally not carried over and will generally not be allocated in 2009/10. Good bye $450,602 which should have been spent in 2008/09.

For items Incomplete (which is shown as around $178,273), if BikeWest is not satisfied that the work has been completed, then the local Council will not receive the grant. For example, there are several developments in Town of Cambridge, City of Gosnells, City of Melville and City of Stirling where the local Council would have undertaken the development and would have covered off the full expenditure (ie twice the grant), and may not get the grant fund back due to not completing the work. Take for example City of Gosnells (Ranford Rd), where the grant was for $42,500. This development would have been $42,500 x 2 = $83,000 which BikeWest will give back $42,500 when the development is complete and includes the bike symbols. In this case (and the image shows), there are no bicycle signs, so no grant money. If you were a rate payer in one of these areas, you would have to be annoyed that the local Council may now have missed out of the grant and your rate money would now be paying the whole development, rather than 50% of it.

I also brought up the subject of City of Perth and it was indicated that $126,000 grant is actually the second year that the City has been allocated around this much grant for that development. It was indicated that it was tied up in trying to getting approval from Swan River Trust (or similar government body). Interesting though, that City of South Perth managed to complete that section of the PSP which also runs next to the Swan River.

So where to now? Does anyone have any suggestions on how we should use this data, or be more proactive and ensuring that 2009/10 grants are completed?

[Dalek]

Very impressive Roland.

You are harangueing them to do get their bike paths fixed.
Not by whingeing or pleading, merely by pointing out how much it is costing them not to do it!

[CycleSnail]

Postby gclark8 » Thu Jun 11, 2009 4:59 pm

CycleSnail wrote:Thanks, Roland, another great map!!!
The Bassendean project along Collier Road (concrete path...) has been done.
Regards,
Heinrich

A bit still missing, Iolanthe st to the railway crossing!!

Looks like the Labor member for the area, Martin Whitley, has written to the responsible Minister to get a solution to the missing Iolanthe Street connection. He got prodded by "a number of local cyclists".
A picture of the missing connection can be found on the BTA blog http://www.bta-bulletin.blogspot.com/ on the 11th October.

[CycleSnail]

Postby gclark8 » Thu Jun 11, 2009 4:59 pm

CycleSnail wrote:Thanks, Roland, another great map!!!
The Bassendean project along Collier Road (concrete path...) has been done.
Regards,
Heinrich

A bit still missing, Iolanthe st to the railway crossing!!

Looks like the Labor member for the area, Martin Whitley, has written to the responsible Minister to get a solution to the missing Iolanthe Street connection. He got prodded by "a number of local cyclists".
A picture of the missing connection can be found on the BTA blog http://www.bta-bulletin.blogspot.com/ on the 11th October.

[rolandp]

Has anyone heard when the 2009/10 local grants will be announced? The guidelines indicate 1 May 2009 - Successful applicants receive formal offers of grant funding assistance.

Wouldn't it have been nice that on National Ride to Work Day, the 2009/10 Perth Bicycle Network Local Government Grants could have been announced? In particular that Federal announced today how much they are allocating. With these types of funds available this year, there must be some improvements to the PBN in the near future.

[pickle]

There are still a lot of projects that haven't started (I'm thinking about the riverside drive works, but rolandp's map indicates there is still a few more). Does anyone have anymore news? I know the riverside ones still haven't started yet.