VicRoads have no plans to extend Upfield Bike Path to Barry Road

Someone with a sense of sign humour at railway bridge

Arising from letters I sent in August, I have had a response from a policy advisor from the office of the Minister for Roads, Luke Donnellan dated 18 August 2017 regarding the Upfield Bike Path extension, and it’s not good. There are no plans by VicRoads to extend the Upfield bike path past the M80 ring road, this is despite the dangerous nature of Sydney Road for cyclists through Campbellfield.

Hume Council at their August Council meeting also advocated for VicRoads to build the Upfield bikepath extension.

While the northward extension of the Upfield Bike Path has been designated as a strategic cycling corridor, “At this stage, the Upfield shared bike path is a lower priority relative to other corridors that have higher bicycle crash histories.” Kieran Barns-Jenkins, policy advisor to Luke Donnellan said in his letter response.

So….

“VicRoads have developed a proposal for a shared path along the corridor between Box Forest Road and the M80 Ring Road for consideration in a future program.”

I phoned the contact number twice in late August to try and discuss this response, with no answer.

So the path to the M80 ringroad is on the radar sometime in the future but no timeframe, but no mention what so ever of any plans extending it to Barry Road and Upfield station.

I am sorry, this simply isn’t good enough.

Through Fawkner and Campbellfield Sydney Road is a 70 kilometre per hour zone, and highly dangerous for cycling on. There are simply no good cycling routes parallel to Sydney Road north of Fawkner to connect Campbellfield, Coolaroo and Dallas.

You won’t get the increase in cycling from Dallas, Coolaroo, Campbellfield until you build the infrastructure, and at the moment the Labor Party in government, and VicRoads, haven’t even any plans.

So what has Frank Maguire MP done to date on constituents pushing for the Upfield extension to Barry Road?

On 22 August 2017 he asked the following question on notice in State Parliament, arising from my letters to his office:

Mr McGUIRE (Broadmeadows) — (12 963) My question is to the Minister for Energy, Environment and
Climate Change, and I ask on behalf of a constituent: what plans for bike paths does the Victorian government have
for the electorate of Broadmeadows?

Two months on and I am still waiting for any follow up answer.

Frank Maguire (MP for Broadmeadows) is sitting on his ar*e and doing nothing to advocate for improved cycling network for his constituents.

Want to lobby Frank Maguire MP about upgrading the Upfield rail line and bike path? Here are the details: