Missing links is a term that describes gaps in the cycling network, and those gaps can be quite short. An example would be a 100 m of missing path that would connect two good bike paths. Without this short link, a cyclist may need to ride a great distance.
Filling the gap and building a cycling path to form a network does not need to be expensive and it is very worthwhile. The value of fixing the missing link far exceeds the construction costs as it makes the whole path network more attractive to cyclists.
In 2016, at the last ACT election, ACT Labor promised to build several missing links. There are other missing links that are not mentioned here.
Promised bike paths:
- the Belconnen Bikeway
- the Heysen Street Link bike path and
- the Kuringa Drive bike path.
Belconnen Bikeway
Status update 25 July 2020: under construction.
The ACT Government has begun with the construction of the Belconnen Bikeway and discuss here in more detail.
Heysen Street Link
Status update 25 July 2020: construction has not begun.
Heysen Street Link bike path has been slow to move forward. It now has funding and approval the construction is promised but not all the way to Woden. It is an important link and short cut between the new suburbs in Weston Creek and Woden. The road is currently of a “rural road standard” and a death trap for cyclists. Heysen Street Link has done well in the Fast Track program in 2020.
Kuringa Drive
Status update 25 July 2020: construction has not begun.
Kuringa Drive off-road bike path between Barton Highway in the north and Kingsford Smith Drive in the south is currently being planned. It is an important connection between western Belconnen and western Gungahlin. Kuringa Drive crosses CSIRO Commonwealth land. The CSIRO wished to develop it but the ACT Government objected.
Kuringa Drive may be duplicated one day. Bike paths in the ACT are often built where it won’t bother anybody. Pedal Power ACT suggested building the bike path on the edge of the Kuringa Drive road reserve so there is room for the duplication later. It now seems this is what will happen but there are currently few details available.
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