Cyclists call for bike path, not ring road, on former Austar/South Maitland Railways rail corridor

This week I spoke to The Advertiser about my response to some proposals to turn the Paxton Mine railway into another road. I think it should be a green corridor that allows all of us to move through the villages of our LGA safely. Not just cyclists but walkers, scooters, runners, commuters, bird lovers, mobility scooters, pet walkers, even horse riders. It’s 2021, there’s so many great mobility solutions to us now and so many more invented every day. Let’s have a vision of the future and lock in this once-in-a-century opportunity for a safe corridor that connects all of our villages.

Take a read – The Cessnock Advertiser. AUGUST 3 2021 – 12:00PM

Thanks to Krystal Sellars.

The closure of the Austar coal mine at Paxton presents a unique opportunity for Cessnock’s future transport needs.

As reported last week, Cessnock City Council will investigate the possibility of securing the mine’s railway corridor as part of its plan to build a ring road to bypass the Cessnock CBD.

The council report said the railway corridor has the potential to accommodate “multi-modal transport options in a single corridor”, such as rail, motor vehicles, walking and cycling facilities.

A local bike shop owner is urging the council to focus on getting cars off the road by using the rail line as a “green transport corridor” that could run from Millfield to Maitland.

“We need some vision from council that encompasses new transport solutions other than cars,” Cessnock Bicycle Company owner Steve Whitby said.

“I’m disappointed that the solution is more roads.

“The rail corridor could be the answer to our prayers – not just a once-in-a-generation opportunity, but once in a century.”

Continue reading thanks to Cessnock Advertister here.