WHAT ARE FREMANTLE’S PARKING REVENUE ALTERNATIVES?

 

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a challenge for all of us, and a huge life changing one for very many people. It also severely affected the City of Fremantle when cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants were closed, when many shops closed and Notre Dame University went on-line and students no longer came to Fremantle.

On the plus side that meant there were thousands of vacant car bays every day, but that meant a big loss of parking revenue for our city, reportedly up to $ 2 million a month in revenue was lost during the restrictions we had the last three months.

Now that most restrictions have been removed by the state government parking fees will again apply in Fremantle from July 1, but Fremantle Council does have a conundrum to deal with, because it will need to find new revenue streams to make up for the future loss of revenue from parking fees and fines.

The last three Councils under Mayor Brad Pettitt have had the ideology that they want to make inner city Freo more pedestrian and cyclists friendly through discouraging cars from coming into the CBD. If that succeeds in the long term parking revenue will drop, so where else can Freo City earn money from to make up for that?

Add to that Council’s desire to have light rail, probably a trackless tram, running from the Roundhouse through High Street, the Cappuccino Strip and South Street to Murdoch  and maybe even Curtin University, with a link to Cockburn, and many people will see that as an attractive alternative and leave their cars at home. More parking revenue lost.

I have little doubt that within the ten next years autonomous vehicles will start becoming popular, and they will just pick up and drop off passengers, so no need to park, which will again lower parking revenue for Fremantle.

So how is Fremantle Council planning for a future where parking bays are no longer as important as they were, and is it good governance to plan for more car parks, such as the one in Parry Street, when they might fast become unused relics of the past?

Roel Loopers

NO CAFE SEATS. NO PROBLEM!

 

 

This gentleman has adapted very well to the Covid-19 restrictions and the takeaway only cafes by bringing his own seat when riding his bike. Good on him!

Roel Loopers

BENVENUTO TO FREO OCEAN CYCLES!

 

 

It is nice to see the historic Fremantle Weigh Bridge in Phillimore Street used again, so a warm welcome to  E Bike Hire OCEAN CYCLES, run by Italian born Mario and his partner.

Check them out on http://www.oceancycles.com.au and Facebook: Ocean Cycles, and Instagram @ocean.cycles

Roel Loopers

HIGHWAY TO CAR FREE HEAVEN

 

 

Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt writes on his blog that the Highway to Hell event, where the entire Canning Highway was closed off to traffic from 4pm to late at night on Sunday, shows what potential there would be for place making if Perth was not such a car dependent city.

It was indeed fantastic to see thousands of people walking and cycling along Canning Highway, and I fondly remember the car free Sundays we had in Germany during the global oil crisis, where Autobahns became cycle ways and events were organised. Yes, those good old days, hey!

Closing parts of the city is always going to be a challenge and will receive criticism and praise, as it will inconvenience those who live and work there, and it requires a lot of, not very forthcoming, flexibility from the Public Transport Authority.

There are still Fremantle people who would like to see the High Street mall reopened to  traffic, and presumably also let cars run through the centre of Kings Square at the High Street reserve.

We had car free trials on the Cappuccino Strip on Sundays, but according to the City of Fremantle traders in the CBD did not support that. The trials were in my opinion not that good though, as they did not engage in real place making, and instead created a huge alfresco area for the traders on the strip, and the ugliness of far too much pine used, to make those alfresco spaces.

The Highway to Hell was a great creative, big thinking, idea that worked really well, but there are plenty of people who complain about it. A world where we all agree is as utopian as a car free world.

Roel Loopers

NOT ALL CYCLISTS WANT THE SAME

 

Fremantle Council wants Freo to become more bicycle friendly and discourage the use of cars, but when planning new cycle lanes it is important to realise that not all cyclists have the same needs and that city planners need to differentiate, as the Netherlands have been doing for centuries.

Roel Loopers

HOW TO GET LOST IN FREMANTLE CYCLING MAP

 

 

I went to pick up the three new URBAN BIKE EXPLORERS maps after a designer friend of mine alerted me to how poor the maps are with not even street names to tell cyclists when to turn, which seems to be a basic requirement for any kind of map.

Look at the Fremantle Highlights map above, and would you know if you are a visitor to Fremantle in which street you are and which street to turn into? I doubt it, unless you also have a GPS at hand.

The maps are a collaboration between Tourism WA and WestCycle and the City of Fremantle

Good news for cyclists that Transport and Planning Minister Rita Saffioti has announced that there will be a bicycle bridge over Tydeman Road in North Fremantle when the new traffic bridge will be built in 2021/22.

Roel Loopers

NEW CYCLING MAPS FOR FREMANTLE

 

The City of Fremantle has joined with Tourism WA and WestCycle to launch two new cycling maps of Fremantle.

The pocket-sized maps are part of Tourism WA’s Urban Bike Explorer series.

The ‘Fremantle Highlights’ map takes cyclists on a loop through central Fremantle, taking in highlights such as the Fremantle Markets, Fremantle Prison, WA Maritime Museum and Fishing Boat Harbour.

The ‘Indian Ocean Explorer’ guides riders from the Fremantle Town Hall down High Street to the Round House, up past Victoria Quay, across the Fremantle Traffic Bridge and all the way along the coast to Cottesloe Beach.

Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said cycling was a great way for visitors to get out and explore the city.

“It’s been a real focus for the City of Fremantle in recent years to make Fremantle more bike-friendly by putting in more cycle paths and bike lanes and improving a number of traffic intersections to make them safer for cyclists,” Mayor Pettitt said.

The Urban Bike Explorer maps also provide handy information where to find food, water and toilets.

The Fremantle Urban Bike Explorer maps are available at WA Visitor Centre in Perth and Fremantle Visitor Centre at Kings Square, as well as hotels and bike shops in Fremantle.

Fremantle is a cycle-friendly city with all major Fremantle attractions and precincts easily accessible by bicycle and a raft of bike shops in the city centre and surrounds to look after cycling needs.

Free bike hire is available from the Fremantle Visitor Centre for a refundable deposit. The bikes are suitable for adults and children over 8 years old, and electric bikes are also available.

Free bike hire is available from Monday to Friday 9 am–4 pm, Saturday 9 am–3 pm and Sunday and public holidays 10 am–3 pm.

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE CYCLING WITHOUT AGE

 

Cycling Without Age, an international not-for-profit organisation that allows elderly and less mobile people to experience an outdoor ride on trishaw e-bikes piloted by volunteer cyclists, has launched in Fremantle.

The social enterprise was partially funded by the City of Fremantle’s Arts and Community Grants program and received $5000 earlier this year to help get it off the ground.

City of Fremantle Director of Community Development Michelle Brennand said Cycling Without Age encouraged ageing in a positive context and built bridges between generations.

Cycling Without Age was established in Denmark in 2012, and is represented in 42 countries around the world today.

Cycling Without Age are piloted trishaw rides that follow two routes and are  entirely free for passengers.

They depart Monday to Friday from South Beach and cycle to South Fremantle Power Station and back, and on weekends they are at Bathers Beach cycling to B Shed and the South Mole.

Volunteer pilot cyclist act as a channel for passengers telling stories and many of the older passengers talk about their memories of the area.

Cycling Without Age’s Fremantle chapter is currently recruiting volunteer cyclists, who will be trained to pilot the trishaw.

They are also raising funds for a second trishaw. While the first trishaw was funded by a bequest and a City of Fremantle community grant, CWA are now seeking smaller donations and sponsorships from local businesses and care providers to expand this  community service.

For more information, visit cyclingwithoutage.org.au. To book a ride, call 0448 447 223 or email adminwa@cyclingwithoutage.org.au.

Cycling Without Age is also offering trial rides at the City’s International Day of People with Disability and International Volunteer Day event at The Meeting Place on 5 December. Book here to register your attendance.

 

Roel Loopers

WHY THE BIKE PARKING URGENCY BEFORE LEGAL RULING?

 

It seems rather premature that a development item is on the Fremantle Council Planning Committee agenda on Wednesday when it is still the focus of a legal challenge in the Court of Appeal by the City and State Government.

The application is for two bicycle parking structures in front of 142 High Street, just east of Kings Square, where the State Administrative Tribunal questioned if the land is actually privately owned or Crown land, and hence the matter ended up in the Supreme Court where it was judged that the land is on private land, but that ruling is now challenged.

Reportedly the City of Fremantle has already spent some $ 800,000 on the court case, but they hope to recover that should the ruling by the Court of Appeal be in their favour.

I wonder though why all parties would not wait with the planning application until the matter has been ruled in court.

The PTA is strongly objecting to the bike shelters in that location as it want it for bus stops close to Kings Square.

Roel Loopers

 

VERY FREO CYCLISTS

 

 

Coming out of Chalkys cafe on High Street this morning I noticed these two colourful ladies riding their bikes, so had to take a photo of course as it is so very Freo.

The lady in the back is helping to organise the East Fremantle Primary School Fair that will be held this Saturday afternoon October 26. Go and support them!

Roel Loopers