Canberrans now have a central place to park the car for free, grab a coffee, jump on their bike and ride the rest of the way to work with the launch of Australia’s first Park and Pedal scheme.
“It’s really exciting to see Australia’s first Park and Pedal scheme launched here in Canberra today, at the Lindsay Pryor National Arboretum carpark,” Minister for Transport and City Services Meegan Fitzharris commented “Similar schemes have proven very popular internationally, and I hope it will encourage more Canberrans to drive their car part-way to work, take out their bike, and pedal the rest of the way. The Park and Pedal scheme kicks off on Monday 13 February and offers commuters a great place to park near the Arboretum, which will be free with regular security patrols. From here it is a leisurely 30-minute ride to the City, Woden, National Triangle and Barton precincts.” Fitzharris added.
Murrumbidgee MLA Bec Cody launched the scheme said, “This is a great way to get more people cycling to and from work. From the carpark there is a pleasant shared, off-road path that commuters can ride on for the entire way to key business hubs, stress-free, and separated from traffic. By parking outside of the city and town centres, people will save on parking fees, reduce the stress from the rat race, avoid traffic congestion, and arrive at work feeling productive and healthy.”
Ms Cody explained that in addition to the Park and Pedal scheme, the inaugural Canberra Walk & Ride Week, to be held from Friday 17 March through until Friday 24 March, was also launched.
“To help people get used to the new facility, all next week (13 – 17 February) ACT Government staff, National Capital Authority staff and Pedal Power volunteers will be onsite to ride with any people who would like company, leaving the carpark at 8:00am each day to travel to the City, Woden, the National Triangle and to Barton. A coffee van is also located at the carpark every morning between 6:30 am and 9:15 am to help get you going,” Ms. Cody commented.
“Canberra Walk & Ride Week from 17 to 24 March will really highlight the benefits of active travel around our city. It will promote the benefits of walking, cycling and using public transport in the ACT, and also give us a great opportunity to collect data about these movements through the use of a GPS tracking smartphone app, There will also be a range of events and activities to further promote walking, cycling and use of public transport during the week.” Minister Fitzharris commented.