Greater Shepparton City Council installed the lockers this week to support cyclists who wish to commute to workplaces and those people wanting easy access to the CBD retail sector. The installation of the lockers fulfils an action in the 2013-17 Greater Shepparton Cycling Strategy outlined in the Council Plan.
Council received $75,000 through Regional Development Victoria’s ‘Local Innovation Fund’ in 2012 for the construction/fabrication of secure bike storage. Consultation was undertaken on ‘Ride to Work Day’ in April 2013 to ascertain desired, suitable locations for secure parking with significant interest for the Maude Street Mall area and the Victoria Park Lake / Aquamoves area.
The Aquamoves Bike Shelter was installed out the front of the Aquamoves building in October 2014 and provides a secure bike parking structure for patrons and community members visiting the Victoria Park Lake Precinct.
The second stage of the project was to provide secure bike storage in the central business district. Council worked with local company Trevaskis Engineering to design custom bike lockers for the CBD. The design of the bike lockers complements the aesthetics and design of existing CBD furniture and infrastructure. The bike lockers have been installed in areas that align with other structures and fittings in the Mall to ensure accessibility and ease of movement.
Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor Dennis Patterson said the bike lockers are a great solution for people who would like to commute to their workplace or take their bikes into the CBD for leisure or shopping. “Shepparton is the perfect place to ride a bike with our award winning shared pathways and flat terrain and anything that encourages more people to take up cycling is a bonus,” said Cr Patterson.
“Cyclists can ride into the CBD and leave their bikes in a secure place while they go to work, have lunch with friends, go to a movie or check out the local retail shops. Not only is it a healthy alternative to driving a car it also cuts down on pollution and reduces the number of people trying to park in the CBD,” said Cr Patterson. “It also lines up with our Greater Shepparton Cycling Strategy.”
“With the interest shown in secure bike parking in the CBD it is possible Council may install the custom designed double-bike lockers in several key locations, with the potential to manufacture more if they are heavily utilised,” said Cr Patterson.
