Cornubia bike park track construction begins

Tags

---

12-05-2022
Read : 462 times
Northglen News
Source

The GO!Durban Cycle Academy Programme, which was founded in 2016, has grown from one site in eNanda, to include sites in KwaDabeka, Chesterville, KwaMashu, Wentworth and soon, Cornubia.

CONSTRUCTION work to build the new GO!Durban Cycle Academy Bike Park in Cornubia is well underway.

uMhlanga resident Shaun Peschl, the programme director for the academy, said once complete the park will feature a velo solutions asphalt pump track and a cycling academy for young children in the area.

The GO!Durban Cycle Academy Programme, which was founded in 2016, has grown from one site in eNanda, to include sites in KwaDabeka, Chesterville, KwaMashu, Wentworth and soon, Cornubia.

The programme trains around 400 youth on a weekly basis by providing free cycling training, academic support, and life skills development.

“We’ve worked through the Cornubia business unit and the residents to bring this project to life. Work started just a week after the floods in KZN and by next week residents will be able to cycle on the track. There are still a few items we have to procure to complete the academy side of things, where we train youngsters how to cycle.

“This is also designed as a safe space for youngsters from the age of six all the way to 18 to learn how to cycle and progress as quickly as possible. The hope for the new Cornubia bike park is that it will promote a cycling culture which is in line with the City’s active mobility plan,” he said.

Peschl added that plans are afoot to link the development project with the Blackburn Village Informal Settlement, a few kilometres away.

“We want to give everyone a chance, but especially young people, a chance to explore something new; a different avenue and a skill that can be used on a day-to-day basis. My goal is to incorporate youngsters from Blackburn Village to give them a chance to learn how to cycle, as they lack opportunities where they are based,” he said.