Urban Forest Accessible Walk

Urban Forest Accessible Walk created by Victoria Walks

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Summary

This charming accessible walk or roll through a green urban oasis features a bushland setting with mature native plants and established wetlands. It is great for prams and mobility aid users.

Description

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Is this walk accessible for me?
This walk is accessible for everyone. It is easy to do by foot, pushing a pram, in a wheelchair or with any other mobility aid.

What can I see?
The Urban Forest is an open woodland with ponds.

How accessible is the path?
The pathways on this map are generally smooth, wide and flat. They are either sealed or of compacted gravel. There may be small lips at path edges.

There is room for side-by-side travel. Prams and wheelchairs can turn around. Different or shorter routes can be taken or different pick-up points chosen. There is good mobile phone coverage.

Some paths have small root rises and short mild slopes. The old Waverley Station site has short slopes at either end. These can be avoided by using other paths.

Ramped timber bridges with small slopes cross the watercourse.

Cyclists may share some pathways.

Rest areas
Most paths are well shaded by trees. There is seating along the walk. Roll under picnic tables are also provided. Some of these require crossing grass to reach them.

Two accessible water fountains are connected to the path.

The nearest accessible toilets are at Phoenix Park, Rob Roy Rd., Malvern East.

Dogs must be on leash.

Public Transport
• Bus route 612 on Waverley Road has an accessible shelter connected to the Urban Forest by a short, smooth, sealed footpath.
• East Malvern train station is opposite on Waverley Road. There is a ramped traffic light pedestrian crossing. It is 500 meters to the Station via Waverley Road and Sycamore Street.

Parking
There is no designated accessible parking.
Bruce St offers six regular spaces with direct access to the walking path.
Dandenong Road Service Road offers parallel parking with ramped access to the Urban Forest entrance.

We would like to know what people with disability and carers think of this accessible Walking Map. Please tell us by completing this five minute survey. Your feedback will help us to create high quality information about accessible walks.

Other City of Stonnington walks
Zelman Cowan Accessible Walk
Central Park & Hedgeley Dene Gardens walk
Princes & Victoria Gardens linked walk
Como Park & River Walk

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Points of Interest

1. Bruce St entrance

There are no allocated accessible parking spaces for this walk. The Bruce St entrance has six spaces with direct kerbless access to the walk. The gap to the path is 2.1 metres at the Waverley Rd end.

2. Picnic tables

Roll under picnic tables are provided. Access is across grass.

3. Seating

There are seats without armrests provided along the walk.

4. Bridges

Small timber bridges cross the watercourse. These are 1.3 metres wide. They have a boarded wooden surface with a low rise.

5. A good walk for prams and mobility aid users

This is a peaceful walk or roll where wide paths and native plants combine to create a calm and relaxing environment.

6. Open water

The open water of the ponds is surrounded by embankments and vegetation. Take care at the edges and keep an eye on children.

7. Accessible drinking water and native plant descriptions

There are two accessible drinking fountains connected to the path. Rectangular signs close to the path identify many of the native plants in the forest.

8. Dandenong Road Service Road entrance

There is parallel parking on Dandenong Road Service Road with ramped access to the walk entrance here. There are no accessible spaces. Using this parking requires travel along the sealed service road.

9. Maintenance

The Urban Forest is well maintained by the City of Stonnington and the volunteers of The Friends of the Urban Forest. Forest vegetation occasionally causes low or fallen branches.

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10. Path surfaces

Either sealed or compacted gravel, the paths are firm and fairly smooth. As you would expect in a forest, low root rises are common.

11. Slopes

Paths a generally quite flat. The site of the old Waverley Station platform has mild slopes at each end. If need be these can be avoided using a connecting path to the other side of the forest.

12. Choosing a shorter or alternative route

There are several exit points to local streets where alternative pick ups can be arranged. Mobile phone coverage is good.

13. Waverley Road entrance

This entrance is marked by a sign describing the history of the Urban Forest. The path is sealed here. The main path is 2.2 metres wide. The gap between the bollard and path edge is 1.1 metres.

14. East Malvern Railway Station

Opposite the Waverley Road and Bruce Street entrance is a ramped traffic light pedestrian crossing. It is 500 meters to the station via Waverley Road and Sycamore Street.

15. Bus stop

Bus No. 612 runs along Waverley Road. It has an accessible shelter with passenger information, mobility aid space, seating and a rear wall 1.4 metre gap to the 1.2 metre wide footpath.