Maps guide residents and visitors around growing cycleway network

Published on 07 November 2022

A new fold-out map and accompanying online guides have been launched in Lake Mac to help residents and visitors navigate the city’s 120km of off-road shared paths and cycleways.

Program and Projects Lead Simon Gulliver said the pocket-sized map provided details of every shared path, cycleway, on-road cycling route and planned cycleway projects, from Wyee in the south to West Wallsend in the north.

“We have an enormous city surrounding the biggest saltwater lake in the Southern Hemisphere, so mapping all this out, street by street, was a painstakingly detailed task,” he said.

“I’m really proud of how it has turned out, and I’m sure it will help people on bikes and other forms of active transport explore Lake Mac and get from A to B.”

The maps feature extra details on four of the city’s ‘iconic links’:

• An 18km route that follows the lake’s edge from Booragul to Belmont
• The 4.6km Speers Point to Glendale shared path that opened earlier this year
• A 13km Cooranbong to Morisset Peninsula ride that crosses the historic swing bridge at Dora Creek
• The Fernleigh Track – the Hunter Region’s most popular shared pathway, linking Belmont with Adamstown in Newcastle

Also included are simple cycling etiquette tips and an explanation of different on-road riding conditions to help people work out which routes to choose.

Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser said Council was committed to expanding the city’s network of cycleways, as laid out in its Walking, Cycling and Better Streets Strategy.

The strategy was commended on Friday night as one of the year’s best strategic planning projects at the Planning Institute of Australia’s 2022 Awards for Planning Excellence NSW.

“Providing safe, scenic and accessible shared paths and cycleways promotes healthy lifestyles and encourages people to get out of their cars and use active transport options instead,” Cr Fraser said.

Council is in the process of investigating more than 34km of new shared paths or cycling routes as part of its four-year Delivery Program.

Construction is slated to either begin or reach completion on another 7km of shared paths in that period.

The new maps will be available at Lake Mac Libraries branches, Council’s administration building, the Visitor Information Centre at Swansea, the Museum of Art and Culture, yapang and the Multi-Arts Pavilion, mima, as well as selected local bike shops.

Go to lakemac.com.au for more information and download a digital version of the new map.