By Victoria Stone-Meadows
Trail bike riders across Casey, Cardinia and Greater Dandenong are being asked to contribute to a plan for a safer network of bike trails in Neerim East State Forest.
One quarter of all motorcycle deaths and serious injuries occur off-road in the Gippsland region, prompting the State Government to take action to improve rider safety.
VicRoads and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) have received $109,000 from the State Government to investigate options to design the safer track network.
VicRoads Planning manager Pas Monacella said it was important to have insight from the people who use the current tracks when planning the improvements.
“There have been 33 serious injury crashes in the Neerim East State Forest between 2010 and 2015,” she said.
“We need to know about riders’ experiences, issues and preferences so that we can develop the right safety solution that will reduce the crash risk while continuing to offer the challenging elements they seek.”
Safety improvement options include repairing or redesigning current tracks, creating new dedicated trail bike tracks, installing signposts and markers, and creating emergency service access points.
Riders, forest users and the wider community can provide feedback on the plans and route design options through online surveys and an interactive map of the forest with consultation closing on 2 April.
For more information and to provide your feedback, visit www.engage.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Neerimtrailbikes or email easternengagement@roads.vic.gov.au.
