Wagga has been chosen as the state's first trial location for a program that may soon allow cyclists to travel by bus with their bikes.
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Similar programs have been adopted around the country, including in the ACT since 2007, where cyclists attach their bikes to the front of buses for the duration of the trip.
Whether the Wagga trial will adopt the same method is yet to be decided, but cyclists are being asked to provide their feedback online to further tailor the planned approach.
Trial routes are also yet to be fully determined but Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole has said he is wanting to hear particularly from existing customers of the route 960 bus from Lake Albert to Estella.
"We want to get this trial right, so we're seeking feedback from the community, including customers who catch the popular route 960 bus, Wagga Wagga City Council, bike user groups and Charles Sturt University on whether there is an appetite for the service and how best to roll it out," Mr Toole said in a statement.
Wagga-based cyclist Adrian Hamilton welcomed the proposal, saying it has been proven to work elsewhere.
"Everything takes time and involves costs to start with, but once it's there, I really can't see anything but benefits for Wagga," Mr Hamilton said.
"I can't see why it wouldn't encourage more people to start riding."
Potential users have the whole month of March to take part in the survey before an eight-week trial will be rolled out. If successful, further trials will run in other regional areas.
It is understood that during the trial, eight Busabout buses will be fixed with the racks, and a practice rack may be installed within the Wagga CBD to help familiarise cyclists with the process for affixing bikes.
A spokesperson for Transport NSW has also said that a "how-to video will be published online to help users understand how to secure their bike on the rack".
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The announcement follows Wagga City Council's series of large investments in the city's cycling infrastructure, including the multimillion-dollar Active Travel Plan and the $9.2 million Multi-Sport Cycling Complex.
"It's going to complement the infrastructure that's already being built, it's all coming together for cycling in Wagga," Mr Hamilton said.
"For the environment, for health, for the well-being of Wagga, it's all going to be a benefit."
Fellow Wagga-based cyclist Gethin Thomas believes the success of the plan would be contingent on having a critical mass of users.
"I don't know how many people use buses in Wagga, I would have to know that before I'd have an opinion on whether it will work," Mr Thomas said.
"Potentially it would encourage people to take their kids into town to use the new pathways and the new complex that's being developed. If that's the case, then it would be helpful."
While the trial has only been earmarked for the route 960 bus, Mr Thomas believes it would be meritorious to extend the program beyond the city.
"It would be great to spread it out to the towns outside Wagga. So someone could come to Coolamon for a quiet ride, or someone could bus out from Coolamon to Wagga for a ride, for example," he said.
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