Heart Foundation applauds investment in walking and cycling

The Heart Foundation welcomes the State Government’s newly announced plan to build a pedestrian and cycle bridge stretching hundreds of metres across the Swan River.

The bridge will be constructed west of the Causeway and will connect Victoria Park with the CBD via Heirisson Island.

Currently, more than 1400 cyclists and 1900 pedestrians each day use the 2 metre-wide path on the heritage-listed Causeway bridge, creating a significant bottleneck. The new path on the bridge will be at least 6 metres wide, with dedicated cycle and pedestrian lanes.

Heart Foundation CEO WA, Sarah Fordham, congratulated the Government on its plan.

Currently, more than 4 in 10 Western Australian adults are not active enough for good health and creating any opportunity that encourages walking and cycling will go a long way towards developing a happier and healthier community. 

“The iconic bridge across the river at the Causeway, and further projects in Perth, East Perth and new links to Matagarup bridge will make it easier for Western Australians to be more active every day.  

Regular walking and cycling can help reduce the risk of heart disease, which continues to be the single leading cause of death in Australia, claiming 48 lives every day.

In Western Australia, on average, heart disease kills four people each day and is the leading cause of death in the State.  

The Heart Foundation’s Director of Active Living, Adjunct Professor Trevor Shilton, believes that this investment will provide an important boost to public health:  “Western Australians can reduce their risk of heart disease by as much as 35 per cent by being active through walking and cycling each day for just 30 minutes. 

“It is important to have safe, separated and high-quality infrastructure that provides and encourages more Western Australians to get their wheels in motion.

“These initiatives are a win-win for the community, not only boosting physical activity and health but making important contributions to reducing road deaths and injuries, reducing congestion and helping the environment.”

In addition to the new bridge, the Government will fund various walking and cycling projects across the city.