Proudly supported by the Donaldson Conservation Trust
Sam ReichNewcastle Cycleways Movement Inc.
Sam is a retired geologist, originally from the USA but with over 30 years in Australia. He has a long-held passion for cycling as transport, for long distance touring as well as commuting.
Sam is Secretary of the Newcastle Cycleways Movement Inc. (the local Bicycle Users Group), is on the Steering Committee of the CycleSafe Network initiative, and sits on the Newcastle Council Cycling Advisory Committee. He is also Secretary of the Australian Cyclists Party. A passionate advocate for improved public transport and for a serious approach to safe cycling infrastructure, Sam believes strongly in their transformative beneficial effects on the urban environment. |
Abstract
Greenways Are Never Popular (Until They’re Built).
Greenways are off-road, designated tracks designed for walking, cycling and occasionally horseback riding. They are usually created from existing infrastructure, such as abandoned canal towpaths and railway formations, ancient traditional pathways, etc. Their gentle grades and access to remote and rural areas make them popular destinations for tourists, as well as providing recreational opportunities for locals.
I have cycled greenways in many countries on three continents (plus New Zealand) and have researched their impact on local communities. I have interviewed business owners and visitors on the Great Allegheny Passage in the USA, Deise Greenway in Ireland, and the Otago Central Rail Trail in NZ, and have discovered that these developments almost always go through a similar process of proposal, debate, opposition and acceptance, as the interests of various stakeholders are reconciled by the process of communication and education.
In an increasingly crowded tourism market, with active tourism and eco-tourism being among the fastest growing segments, greenways have proven repeatedly to be the ideal way to re-purpose the disused and moribund transport assets of the past.
Greenways Are Never Popular (Until They’re Built).
Greenways are off-road, designated tracks designed for walking, cycling and occasionally horseback riding. They are usually created from existing infrastructure, such as abandoned canal towpaths and railway formations, ancient traditional pathways, etc. Their gentle grades and access to remote and rural areas make them popular destinations for tourists, as well as providing recreational opportunities for locals.
I have cycled greenways in many countries on three continents (plus New Zealand) and have researched their impact on local communities. I have interviewed business owners and visitors on the Great Allegheny Passage in the USA, Deise Greenway in Ireland, and the Otago Central Rail Trail in NZ, and have discovered that these developments almost always go through a similar process of proposal, debate, opposition and acceptance, as the interests of various stakeholders are reconciled by the process of communication and education.
In an increasingly crowded tourism market, with active tourism and eco-tourism being among the fastest growing segments, greenways have proven repeatedly to be the ideal way to re-purpose the disused and moribund transport assets of the past.
Presentation
Greenways Are Never Popular (Until They’re Built)
Presented on 27th September 2017 at the Active Transport: The Richmond Vale Rail Trail Conference (2017)
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