Advocacy Watch: Cycling Advocacy in the Murrumbigee Electorate

The Woden Town Centre is undergoing major changes, with development applications rolling in. We’ve been actively engaging with planners to ensure cycling and walking are front and centre in these plans.

The Woden Village – currently a car park south of the Hellenic Club – is set for a modern mixed-use development with parks and active travel connections. We’ve pushed for quality end-of-trip facilities and slow-speed internal roads prioritising pedestrians and riders. We’ve also raised the long-standing issue of the Hellenic Club loading dock blocking the Matilda St bikeway.

Nearby, the new CIT campus has opened with a landscaped precinct and a wide east-west boulevard connecting the town square to the bus interchange. It’s designed for cycling and walking, and we’re assured the brick paving will hold up better than Lake Ginninderra foreshore.

Progress is also underway on long-promised projects. Construction of the raised priority crossing on Wilbow St (behind the Woden Police Station on the C4) is expected to begin once the new bus interchange opens later this year.

The Melrose Dr underpass, closed for 15 months after vandalism, is finally open, with improved approaches and high-vis bollards thanks to our lobbying with Member for Murrumbidgee Fiona Carrick.

We’ve met with consultants reviewing Cotter Rd traffic flows, advocating not only for better traffic sequencing but also improved walking, cycling, and bus use, including fixing the poorly used Kirkpatrick St bike cage and optimising the Streeton Dr lights.

In Molonglo, we’ve urged planners to complete the missing link at Coombs Peninsula and deliver the promised recreational cycling loop along the river. Construction of the long-awaited bridge over Weston Creek at Coombs is expected to begin early next year.

Thanks to transport authorities for resealing sections of the C4 path between Mawson and the town centre—it’s now a pleasure to ride. Increased path maintenance remains one of our top advocacy priorities.

Looking ahead, we’re preparing submissions on the Legislative Assembly’s inquiry into Woden’s liveability and the environmental study for light rail stage 2B. The light rail plans will reroute the C4 to the eastern side of Yarralumla Creek, but importantly, it will stay free of traffic crossings.

Change is coming to Woden, let’s make sure it works for riders!

Richard Bush & Jeff Ibbotson
Pedal Power Advocacy - Murrumbidgee

If you are interested in any of these issues, or in joining the Murrumbidgee Advocacy team, please contact us at advocacy@pedalpower.org.au.