These projects are required by a date this financial year (couldn't locate the exact one), so there isn't much time for them to be completed.The Perth Bicycle Network is a network of cycling routes comprising of on-road, path and end-of-trip infrastructure.
The PBN is coordinated by the Department of Transport and forms part of a strategic and integrated transport network being developed for our city, during this time of incredible growth.
The majority of the network belongs to Local Government, and grant funding can be obtained for local cycling infrastructure (or network planning) through the Department of Transport’s PBN Grants Program.
2012-13 Grants program
Successful grant applications in the 2012-13 PBN Grants program have been awarded.
A total of 37 projects (19 Local Governments) will be undertaken in the $2m program.
19.1km (14.2km paths and 4.9km bicycle lanes) of network infrastructure is being generated from the funding.
Awarded project details can be downloaded here.
I've put this data into GoogleMaps:
I need your help to identify if the projects are complete, or to contact Local Government asking when they will be completed. Post to this forum and I will update the GoogleMap. Clicking on each item in the GoogleMap shows the Local Council and the work being undertaken.
Why is this important? Last year only $715K of $1M was awarded to completed projects. This means that $285K of grant money was not spent. As the grant money is awarded basically on a 1-1 basis (ie DoT matches $1 to the Local Government $1), this is in real terms a loss of $570K of budgeted funds not being spent on PBN grants.
If we do the sums for this year, and given previous trends, potentially $1,140K is not going to be spent on PBN funding of the $4M Budgeted funds (ie $2M from DoT and $2M from Local Government). Scary isn't it, and hence why it is important to ensure Local Government is going ahead with the PBN grants. $1,140K is roughly 11km of cycle paths assuming it takes around $100K per km to build.