Submission on SCATL (Miranda)

SUBMISSION ON SUTHERLAND CRONULLA ACTIVE TRANSPORT LINK (SCATL)

Transport NSW is seeking public feedback until the 12th February on the proposed design for the Sutherland Cronulla Active Transport link.(SCATL)

To Transport for NSW

Ms Eleni Petinos MP Miranda Electorate

We support the concept of a safe off-road shared pathway which would give all local residents young and old a safe convenient and inexpensive opportunity to exercise for short or long distances to meaningful destinations.

However, the currently revised shared path design proposal by (SCATL) which would take the shared path out of the rail corridor and put it on the footpath along the southern side of Karimbla Rd from Sylvania Road to Kareena Road has little if any support from residents. We prefer that the rail corridor be used for the shared path between Kareena Rd and Sylvania Rd.

A 3.5metre shared path with cyclists along the footpath on the Southern side of the Karimbla Road would:

-Result in unnecessary removal of grass and trees and would create a hot and unpleasant pedestrian environment.

-Danger to cyclists from vehicles reversing from or entering the large number of driveways.

-Large numbers of cross streets are dangerous and inconvenient for cyclists. We would envisage that future bridge upgrades across Sylvania Rd and Kiora Rd would incorporate the SCATL above Karimbla Road.   

-Danger to large number of pedestrians in Karimbla Rd who would cross the cycleway to access the rail station, bus transport links, retail, medical and commercial precincts

- Be too busy and it is only going to get busier as Miranda has become a hotspot for units with Council receiving 1000 applications for units in Miranda alone between 23/06/2016 and 31/12/2015. Westfields has expanded in size and Sutherland hospital is being redeveloped. There are also businesses along Karimbla Rd such as the two early childhood long day care centres with a third one soon to be built.

 Obviously we need shared paths as there is little existing infrastructure for residents who want convenient, safe opportunities to exercise to resist a sedentary lifestyle which is a major contributor to chronic disease and an obstacle to rehabilitation. It is also needed for children faced with an obesity epidemic who all have bikes but no safe place to exercise and have to rely on their parents to drive them everywhere in the local area.

We propose that if sections of the rail corridor are not wide enough for both cyclists and pedestrians then the SCATL cyclepath be retained in the rail corridor for cyclists and the footpath be developed for pedestrians along Karimbla Rd from Sylvania Rd to Kareena Rd . The improved pathway on footpath would be acceptable for pedestrians accessing Westfields, medical suites and Sutherland Hospital and cyclists could stay in rail corridor.

Further comments---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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