The official signed cycle routes between Canberra’s town centres are branded CBR Cycle Routes. What we see today is part of a large network of cycle routes, some have not been built yet or only in part. In the Active Travel Framework, the CBR Cycle Routes are known as Main Community Routes in the Active Travel Standards. Local Community Routes are planned within suburbs to schools and shops.
Background to the urban planning process is found here.
In the Active Travel Framework, the “CBR Cycle Routes” are known as Main Community Routes. Local Community Routes are planned within suburbs to schools and shops.
The online Active Travel Infrastructure Practitioner Tool shows you the existing and intended Main and Local Community Routes. It is an urban planning tool, “created to provide timely route information for planners, developers and facility designers.”
Issues with the Active Travel Infrastructure Practitioner Tool are discussed here.
The Plan
The CBR Cycle Routes are often seen on a “London Metro” styled map. Figure 5-1 is an enlargement of the map showing the CBR Cycle Route C5 between Coombs and the zoo.
Currently, these are the routes planned.
The complete network of CBR Cycle Routes is shown in figure 5-3 from the active travel document Building an integrated transport network: active travel (2015). There are many different versions of this map. This version shows both existing and planned (future) routes.
The online tool
The Active Travel Infrastructure Practitioner Tool shows more than just routes and is derived from the ACT Government planning tool ACTmapi.
The community routes are a hierarchy of Principal, Main and Local Community Routes. As this is a planning tool, not all the paths currently exist. The tool includes the planning status: endorsed, intended and future. Endorsed plans are signed off, intended are likely to eventuate, and future, well,… who knows.
Two further types, Accessible Pedestrian Routes (wheelchairs, no bikes) and On-Road Cycling Routes (cycle lanes), are worth mentioning.
“Destinations” in the Active Travel Framework are places we ride to, including shopping centres and schools.
We need to ride across roads safely. A zebra crossing is laid out for pedestrians but can be used by cyclists (10 km/h). The priority crossing is found on Main Community Routes and bikes have the priority over cars.
Key documents
There are three important documents for active travel.
canberra.bike 