Perth Voice Interactive

A GRINCH was operating in Shakespeare Street over the holidays, stealing Christmassy signs that pro-bike boulevard folk had hung on their verge trees.

Mount Hawthorn locals who want to see a bike-friendly boulevard installed as part of a transport department trial had hung signs saying “all I want for Christmas is a bike boulevard” in their verge trees.

The hoped-for boulevard is intended to slow down traffic and give big wide spaces for bikes to ride along, with cars coming second.

Many locals had been excited campaigning for somewhere for their kids to cycle safely, with 30 households joining the Bikes on Shakespeare Action Group to decorate their trees.

But not everyone is keen on change, with some concerned about slowing traffic in the street or people getting stuck behind the once-a-week rubbish bin in the now-narrowed car bit.

Reader Gail Neindorf reports that over the break someone had gone along the street nicking the signs, “obviously someone that is opposing the initiative,” she says.

“This is pretty poor when children are involved in putting them up and distributing them, to find out someone is removing or stealing the signs.”

She did spot one person swiping signs and confronted the man, who claimed he was allowed to since it was on the verge. She’s now replaced the signs with heavy fishing line to make them harder to yank free.

The next step for the bike boulevard is a walk through with WA transport department boffins on February 4 at 5.30pm to chat to locals about where it’ll go and how it’ll work, before a final decision is made.

by DAVID BELL