#rideburnside : pump track future locations

Council is seeking your input for the future locations for the roving pump track in the City.

Six locations have been selected to host the portable pump track. It is expected that the pump track will return to each location every two years (based on a 3-4 month rotation at each site).

Some of the locations have hosted the track in the past three years, and others have not. On some occasions, residents raised concerns about the impact that the pump track would have in their neighbourhood. However these concerns were alleviated once the pump track was in place and the issues that they feared did not occur. In the unlikely event that any issues arise in a new location which cannot be resolved, the pump track can be relocated.

Why should the track be rotated?

It is proposed that the pump track continue to be rotated around the City for a maximum of three to four months at a time. There are a number of benefits from regularly rotating the pump track, including:

• Fairness – provides children and families everywhere a turn in their local neighbourhood, regardless of how many children live in their area.
• Community – as a local ‘attractor’ it helps people socialise with their neighbours and build community relationships.
• Interest – keeps interest in the pump track high. Local children may become bored with the pump track if it is permanently in their neighbourhood, as is sometimes seen with playgrounds.
• Balance – no-one is permanently prevented from using their local courts for other uses.
• Reduces traffic congestion – as a local ‘attractor’ it mainly appeals to families from the local neighbourhood, with local families walking or riding to the track.

These six locations meet most of the following desirable criteria for a temporary pump track location:

• Adequate space for the pump track so that the track can fit in one of its variations with the rhythm straight.
• Suitable topography – flat surface.
• Hard surface - a hard surface is better than dirt and lawn, as it increases user enjoyment; it can accommodate more users (when the track is busy, children can ride around the court while waiting); allows less confident riders to work on skills on a flat hard surface before progressing to the pump track; causes less damage to skate boards and scooters from dirt/sand/gravel/lawn; and reduces pump track maintenance issues and costs.
• Community courts that can be booked and/or are not used by clubs for at least part of the year.
• Resident proximity – limited houses surrounding the park, or where the pump track would be less than 20m from the nearest house and be lockable, or, more than 20m from a house if it is not lockable.
• Other complementary facilities such as playground, barbecue or an oval.
• Toilets.
• Parking.
• Passive surveillance when located in a busy/popular park, or on an arterial/sub arterial road with a high level of traffic.
• Lockable gate – where the site is surrounded by fencing with gates that can be locked to prevent night-time use.