“I Share My Trail” launch at Shepherds Hill Recreation Park

Representatives from each trail user group: walking, trail running, horse riding, cycling and mountain biking with Hon Ian Hunter MLC, Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation and Annabel Digance, Member for Elder

Representatives from each trail user group: walking, trail running, horse riding, cycling and mountain biking with Hon Ian Hunter MLC, Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation and Annabel Digance, Member for Elder

Walking SA joined with representatives of other trail user groups today at Shepherds Hill Recreation Park to commend the adoption of the “I Share My Trail” message.

We encourage all trail users to consider the safety of other users to create enjoyable trail experiences for all.

The campaign was launched by Hon Ian Hunter MLC, Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation and Annabel Digance, Member for Elder, in conjunction with Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR), Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Walking SA, Trail Runners SA, Bike SA, Horse SA and Gravity Enduro Mountain Bikes.

"I Share My Trail" - we encourage all trail users to consider the safety of other users to create enjoyable trail experiences for all

“I Share My Trail” – we encourage all trail users to consider the safety of other users to create enjoyable trail experiences for all

We encourage all trail users to consider the safety of other users to create enjoyable trail experiences for all. Sharing of trails depends on mutual understanding and respect from all users. The aim is to ensure everyone, including walkers, trail runners, cyclists, mountain bikers and horse riders have a safe and enjoyable experience using shared trails.

Shared trails work well for low-volume, low-speed trails and those with good sight distances. They can also bridge hard or expensive-to-fix gaps in trail networks. Bike trails can often be shared with walkers where bike speeds are kept low. Providing for more trail users broadens the funding and support opportunities, allowing for a greater investment in the development of new trails and maintenance of existing trails.

Representatives from trail user groups at the I Share My Trail launch: walking, trail running, horse riding, cycling and mountain biking with Hon Ian Hunter MLC, Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation and Annabel Digance, Member for Elder

Representatives from trail user groups at the I Share My Trail launch: walking, trail running, horse riding, cycling and mountain biking with Hon Ian Hunter MLC, Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation and Annabel Digance, Member for Elder

Not all trails are suitable for sharing, and care must be taken to separate fast and low-speed traffic.  Walkers don’t feel safe on trails used for downhill mountain bike riding or the kind of fast flowing trail that some mountain bike riders prefer. Walkers are generally not attracted to commuter paths with fast moving or high volumes of bicycle traffic. High numbers of walkers on these trails can also impede and annoy bike riders.

There are important roles and benefits of shared trails, but there are also places where some form of separation can be cheaper as well as better for everyone’s experience of the trail. Low-speed, walking-only trails in the right place, have little impact on the environment, cost almost nothing to construct and require little maintenance.

Bushwalk eMag Focuses on South Australian Walks

Bushwalk.com eMag October edition cover - Best South Australian WalksBushwalk.com has released their latest eMag – this month features on South Australia’s Best Walks, as voted by locals. We took up the opportunity to write the introduction for the featured walks.

The edition also features other SA focus articles:

Other articles include:

More Pedestrians and Cyclists = Less Congestion

Walking SA, in conjunction with Heart Foundation SA, have submitted the following Letter to the Editor, in response to the SA Government’s release today of Operation Moving Traffic.

Operation Moving Traffic has identified some effective ways to improve congestion (Advertiser 23 July) to deal with the ever increasing number of cars on our roads. However, road congestion will continue to get worse unless we address the fundamental issue; if we keep making it easier to drive we will encourage more cars on the roads. To address this, the Government’s initiative should also consider support for better active transport options. Such options will reduce car-dependence and as such reduce the number of cars on the road. This week the Australian Walking and Cycling Conference participants discussed how we can design and plan our streets for people, and improve infrastructure including signage and paths, to make it safer and easier for people to walk and cycle for transport. Not only will this help ease congestion, but it will improve the health of our community and improve the economy of our state.Heart Foundation SA and Walking SA
Heart Foundation SA and Walking SA logos

Channel 7 Interview + Update from Wendy Keech, WalkingSA Chair

Wendy Keech, chair Walking SAWe hope that you are taking advantage of this perfect walking weather and suggest that you might try the newly reopened Crafers Circuit trail that is an alternative to reach the Mount Lofty Summit.

Walking SA Chair, Wendy Keech, was interviewed on 5AA’s Michael Keelan show on March 1, 2015. Wendy talks about the role walking plays in people’s daily life and strategies to stay active and fit.

As you may be aware, Walking SA has featured in the media on several occasions in recent weeks making comment on the Crafers Circuit with an article in the Eastern Courier and a feature story on Channel 7 that aired over the weekend. As Chair of Walking SA, I was interviewed on 5AA and spoke about the role walking plays in people’s daily life and strategies to stay active and fit. This media attention has been a great opportunity to raise the profile of Walking SA and highlights the hard work and progress we have been making behind the scenes to ensure our place as the peak body for walking in South Australia.

Later this month we are holding a Club Presidents Forum for club representatives. This will provide an opportunity for the Board to engage with representatives of Clubs in an open discussion regarding Walking SA, bushwalking and trails, and the development of walking as a preferred recreational activity, mode of transport and the promotion of its benefits for general health and well-being.

This month we feature:

We hope that you enjoy this latest edition of news from Walking SA.

Wendy Keech
Chair, Walking SA

Walking SA Interview on Radio Station 5AA

Walking SA Chair, Wendy Keech, was interviewed on 5AA’s Michael Keelan show this morning.

Wendy talks about the role walking plays in people’s daily life and strategies to stay active and fit.

There are no prerequisites to walking – just get moving.

Walking on trails at overseas destinations is popular, as is bushwalking here in SA, but you can also start walking now in your local area.

If you have a destination, a trail, or people to walk with it is much easier. There are no prerequisites to walking – just get moving. There are many walking groups – from just get up and get going groups, to groups that walk from 1 hour to 5 hours, or have walking days away.

Listen to the Interview

Audio – 8min 30secs

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