NOT surprisingly, Newcastle has lagged behind other major Australian cities in gaining opportunities to install cycleways and dedicated walking paths.
Now that the multi-million-dollar Fernleigh track is largely complete, the city's cyclists and pedestrians are being forced to learn lessons that people in many other cities have had years to absorb.
The main one, of course, is how to share the path with other people.
The difficulties are obvious. Cyclists whose efforts were chiefly responsible for winning funding for the track relish the opportunity it presents to travel at a good speed without the interference from heavier traffic that occurs on roadways.
Some, however, evidently regret that their energetic pastime can be obstructed by walkers.
Pedestrians, for their part, have taken to the track with every bit as much enthusiasm as the cyclists. Solitary walkers and joggers, family groups, young and old people and people with pets use the track regularly.
While many pedestrians have been quick to become "bike-savvy" keeping to the left and listening keenly for the sound of bells or the whirring of tyres others have not yet realised the importance of these practices.
It is very easy for walkers to become absorbed in conversation and to stray across the track. And it is easy for small children and animals to wander during a moment of inattention.
Given the speed at which some cyclists choose to travel it is apparent that serious injuries from collisions are a realistic possibility.
This reality imposes similar responsibilities on all users of the track to those that apply to users of regular roads.
Put simply, the golden rule is to obey the basic keep-left convention as far as possible, while remaining aware that other people cyclists and pedestrians alike may have lapses of attention or courtesy that require reactions appropriate to the circumstance.
The Fernleigh Track is a wonderful community asset and its popularity is no surprise. It will take time for people to settle into a workable routine that accommodates all kinds of users.
Other cities have managed, however, and Newcastle will too.
Under-age drinking
IT'S time for serious action on under-age binge-drinking.
Hardly a week goes by in the Hunter without some new example of the damage caused by alcohol abuse, and a troublingly high proportion of incidents appear to involve people who should not, legally, have access to strong drink.
Hunter Medical Research Institute, in conjunction with schools in the region, is starting an early intervention program aimed at helping young people build self-esteem and develop the ability to look beyond alcohol marketing and social examples to make sensible decisions about drinking.
That's a good initiative that ought to be matched by a fresh look at such issues as alcohol advertising and availability.
Email a friend