SAFETY concerns and people power has forced Lake Macquarie City Council to rethink a cycling path that would cross the driveways of multiple properties in a Whitebridge Street.
Lonus Avenue resident Grahame Fleming put together a petition with about 135 signatures against the route the council chose for a shared path linking Charlestown and Whitebridge.
"We told them about the amount of traffic which is loaded onto the road twice daily, it's unfeasible to put a dual carriageway in and have electric scooters and bikes going across 50-odd driveways with people trying to get in and out," he said.
"If we're reversing or driving out and a kid or cyclist runs into our car, we're responsible because we're traversing a public thoroughfare.
"It's ludicrous."
Lake Macquarie council chose the route via Kaleen Street and Lonus Avenue for the Charlestown to Whitebridge shared pathway.
The idea was to create a safe and accessible active transport route between the two suburbs, providing connections to key destinations like schools and shops that links up with the Fernleigh Track at Whitebridge.
The petition was presented at a recent council meeting, and councillors voted in favour of undertaking further investigations on alternative routes for the section planned for Lonus Avenue.
At the meeting, Cr Colin Grigg said he thought that having the path cross multiple driveways would create a dangerous situation.
"Not just in the short term madam mayor, but in the long term as well," he said.
"This pathway goes down those streets, it's going to be a lifelong commitment for those residents and future residents who go there and I think we are building a possible accident by building that thing for injury or even worse."
The council also voted to conduct further community consultation on the preferred and alternative options.
Mr Fleming thinks that a much better route would be along Waran Road, where there are no houses on one side.
"There's a nature strip the council already mows once a month, there's no services, no road to cross, no footpaths, nobody has their house decrease in property value and it goes straight up without crossing another road until the tennis courts," he said.
"Our way of thinking is that's the safest way for residents, bike riders and scooter riders and it doesn't interfere going across 50-odd driveways."
A council spokeswoman said the Lonus Avenue route was chosen as the result of community consultation in March and April last year, which more than half of respondents showed a strong preference for.
She said a letter was sent to 534 directly impacted addresses, including all residents of Lonus Avenue.
"Having shared pathways on road verges with driveways is a normal practice throughout NSW," she said.
"Similarly, driveways are commonly crossed by footpaths, upon which children under 16 and their caregivers can legally ride.
"Council has committed to working with residents to ensure sight lines from their driveways to the pathway are clear, to ensure they have good visibility of any oncoming path user."
The council had two options on the table, one up Lonus Avenue and Flora Street to Kaleen Street and the other down Lonus Avenue onto Dudley Road, continuing on Bula Street to Tiral Street, eventually ending up at the Pacific Highway.
The spokeswoman said Waran Road was considered in the early planning stages but was ruled out because it doesn't directly connect the Fernleigh Track or Whitebridge local centre to Whitebridge High.
It would also require two crossings of Waran Road, which she said is a busy collector road.
"This introduces stress, particularly for families and elderly, and reduces directness and connectivity for those using the pathway," she said.
She said the council would have to look at traffic calming devices and the route includes an extra hill.
"Council staff will undertake further investigations on the section of the route planned for Lonus Avenue and viable alternative routes," she said.
That investigation and community consultation is expected to take about 12 weeks.
