The City of Kalamunda has a range of popular cycling routes in the Perth Hills, however it is calling for major upgrades to road infrastructure to better accommodate cyclists and all road users in harmony.

Mayor John Giardina said, “The City has developed a Bicycle plan that identifies infrastructure improvements that will support cycling and improve safety.”

“Currently there is little infrastructure to support the cycling demand which causes a significant risk of vehicle and cycle conflict. It is a major issue in our community.”

“We have identified a number of key projects and we are seeking state and federal assistance to bring these projects to life. In total the City is seeking $17.4 million to fund projects over the next 5 years and encourages the state and federal governments to recognise the importance of this project and commit funds. .”

“The projects would see a significant increase in cycling and road safety. It would also allow netter cycling participation, removing barriers to participation for recreational riders through to competitive level.

“There is also the potential for the Perth Hills to establish itself as the leading international destination for cycle tourism.”

Key improvements include the 6.9km of cycling paths and bike boulevards along the Railway Heritage Trail which is valued at $2.0m. 5.25km of dedicated cycling lanes and bike boulevards are proposed in the Kalamunda Town Centre valued at $2.91m along with 6.6km of widening for dedicated cycling lanes along Kalamunda Road valued at $1.84m.

The City also wishes to create 5.65km of dedicated cycling lanes and treatments along Welshpool Road East to a tune of $3.65m and 31.4km of dedicated cycling lanes and rural training routes along Canning Road ($3.0m).

The need for a better connection to the south of the City has also been identified with a proposal for 9.3km of dedicated cycling lanes connecting the City of Kalamunda to the City of Armadale ($4.0m). This section is extremely important as it is also a major freight route, meaning current rural roads are being used by cars, trucks and cyclist increasing the risk of a conflict.

Over 65km of main and rural roads in the City are currently used by cyclists for recreation and training.

The City has been working closely with all Government agencies to fulfil the wider objectives of the Bicycle Plan with more than $250,000 committed in grant funding for 2019/2020, subject to the budget adoption, from the State Governments Perth Bicycle Network Local Governments Grants Program. This will see initial works on Welshpool Road East connecting Hale Road to Roe Highway in Wattle Grove, a local cycling route in High Wycombe and new shared paths.

More than 1800 cyclists per week from across Perth use the roads which supports the local economy as riders patronise local businesses. There is also flow-on effects of improvements in health and well-being through increased cycling participation.