Adelaide’s central business district should be made a petrol-free zone by 2012 to prepare for the end of affordable oil, the Australian Democrats say.

South Australian Democrat MP Sandra Kanck said the initiative would slash pollution and congestion and turn Adelaide into a clean walking and cycling city.

She said it would involve an increase in public transport, the provision of showers and other facilities for cyclists and incentives for people to buy alternative-fuel vehicles.

Over time, city car parks should be replaced by apartments.

“If we start preparing now for the end of cheap oil we will be able to cope. If we don’t, it will be a disaster,” Ms Kanck said.

“We are eventually going to be forced to make the CBD a petrol-free zone, but with a bit of imagination and planning we can turn this adversity into an opportunity for urban renewal.”

AAP

(from the ABC)

Cyclists say an elevated bike lane should be part of the South Road-Anzac Highway redevelopment in Adelaide.

The South Australian Government says it is still holding public consultation on the plans, but does not intend building an overpass for cyclist and pedestrian use.

Jeremy Miller from the Bicycle Institute of South Australia says it would be a wasted opportunity.

“It seems to sort of really defeat the whole purpose of putting the trams up in the air when cyclists are going to be able to stop that flow of traffic on an adhoc basis as they approach South Road,” he said.

“We’d much rather be going on a tramway overpass with the trams and have a cycle overpass built in conjunction with that.

“The whole idea of South Road is to become a continuous network for the cars, but cyclists will now have to approach South Road, press a button to get across and break that continuous flow of traffic, which seems a bit ridiculous from our point of view.”

(click here for the audio)