As reported in the News last year, Angela Van Dyke was one of the mothers who said children from Ironbark Ridge Primary and Rouse Hill High could be injured or killed unless footpaths were constructed along Commercial Road.

Mrs Van Dyke said the need for footpaths had grown after the recent opening of Our Lady of the Angels Primary School.

``Commercial Road is a hideous stretch of road,'' Mrs Van Dyke said.

``I'm not sure how the council thinks the road can be left as it is for a long period of time ...

``I certainly won't walk down it.''

The Hills Shire Council said pedestrians should instead use the two cycleways through bushland near Bruce Purser Reserve and Centenary Reserve it will begin building soon.

``The cycleway will link with existing pathways at each reserve and are designed to allow easier access for people to walk well away from both Withers Road and Commercial Road for considerable distances,'' a council spokeswoman said.

``However, there will still be a need for people to cross these subarterial roads at the traffic signals.

``Council will continue to design the cycleway and pedestrian network through the residential areas in a way that removes most of the need to walk along subarterial roads,'' the spokeswoman said.

Mrs Van Dyke said cycleways would probably only be used on weekends.

``Parents want their kids walking on routes where there is a lot of activity and visibility and people would see if anything happened,'' she said.

``They will continue to walk on the road because they think that's better than walking on a cycleway where no one can see you.''

Mrs Van Dyke raised the question of whether or not directing pedestrians away from main roads was an official council policy.

``Where else in the world would this happen?'' she said.

``It doesn't make sense.

``It's time for councillors to review this and look at a sensible policy for 2010.

``People use them [the arterial roads] anyway because they are the shortest, most direct route,'' Mrs Van Dyke said.