Rous Head Sea Wall Bike Path (North Mole) – Safe Riding?

[Aushiker]

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In January 2013 Fremantle Ports awarded a $13m contract to construction firm, Brierty Ltd to build roads and services on reclaimed land at Rous Head, Fremantle. Part of this contract was the building of a cycle and pedestrian path along the sea wall. Well that path is now in place and this is a short video of the riding experience from Port Beach to North Mole along the Rous Head Sea Wall Bike Path.

Having ridden the Rous Head Seal Wall bike path a few times to get a feel for it I have mixed views about it. On the one hand I am pleased we have bicycle infrastructure on the North Mole to encourage cycling and walking out to the North Mole. With the heavy vehicle traffic movements, particularly during the week this is very much-needed infrastructure.

However there are downsides to the Rous Head Sea Wall bike path which do impact on the amenity of using it and potentially can put users at risk, most worrying being children. The first is that I am finding it is being used often (particularly outside of work hours) as a parking area for fishers. People parking on the path itself forces the legitimate users to either take to the dirt where they can or worse on to the road and into the traffic. Not something that I would like to see young children being forced to do.

The other negative relates to the first and that is the decision by the Fremantle Ports to install at the southern end of the path (see around the 2.27 mark in the video) four car parking bays cutting across the bike path. I am really struggling to understand the logic of this decision and as to why the Fremantle Ports Chief Executive Officer, Chris Leatt-Hayter signed off on this.

This decision not only impacts negatively on the overall user experience of the Rous Head Seal Wall bike path; after all nothing beats bouncing into and out of a series of channels on a bike path (would we do this to a road?), but it creates a potentially dangerous situation as it puts vehicles and bicycle riders in conflict.

Thoughts?

Andrew

[just4tehhalibut]

This might be worth posting to the Fremantle Herald although I'd edit out the references to a 'seal wall' first. The City of Freo already has experience with trying to keep bikepaths (like along Mews Rd) clear of parked cars, I guess that the Port Authority isn't so blessed.

[Aushiker]

This might be worth posting to the Fremantle Herald although I'd edit out the references to a 'seal wall' first.

Not interested in Fremantle Herald ... of course some one else can try that approach if they so wish.

Andrew

[SquareWheels]

Looks like a fairly nice ride with the exception of the carparks across the path. I am sure that section will provide a few close calls over time for cyclists and pedestrians alike.