[About Us]

Trails Planning
Trail Development Plans
Trails Master Plans
Trail Feasibility Studies

Transplan Pty Ltd has extensive experience in all aspects of:

  • Rail trails
  • Walk trails
  • Mountain bike / off-road cycle trails
  • Equestrian trails
  • Drive / heritage trails

Over the years we have worked on projects right across the concept – planning – development – management lifecycle of trails, including:

  • Concept plans
  • Feasibility studies
  • Strategic & regional plans
  • Community consultation & liaison
  • Development plans & work schedules
  • Interpretation plans, signs, brochures etc
  • Funding applications & project resourcing
  • Construction & implementation programs
  • Project management
  • Promotional programs
  • Management & maintenance plans

We can bring to your project:

  • A long distinguished career in trail planning;
  • detailed understanding of trail users and usage patterns, and the ‘market’ for trails;
  • extensive experience in evaluating alternate alignments, their costs and opportunities;
  • expertise in trail design, infrastructure requirements and the costing of facilities;
  • decades of accumulated track, trail, shared use path and outdoor recreation facility construction experience, in most states of Australia, and various parts of the USA;
  • and – most importantly! – an abiding passion for trails!

Rail Trail Planning

Transplan Pty Ltd is a specialist trail planning consultancy, based in Perth WA but operating in all states of Australia. Transplan Pty Ltd has been the lead consultant or one of the principal contributors to 30 rail trail studies around Australia. We have undertaken numerous Rail Trail Feasibility Studies and detailed Rail Trail Development Plans. Please refer to the downloadable Planning Your Rail Trail brochure for more details.

Trail Auditing/Assessments

We have audited and assessed over 500 walk and cycle trails across Australia, examining every aspect of an existing trail in order to provide a comprehensive set of upgrading and safety improvements.

About the Directors

Mike Maher

Mike Maher is a town planner with over 30 years experience in transport and land use planning. Over the last 25 years he has specialised in planning for non-motorised modes: cyclists and pedestrians.

His professional career has included 12 years in the State Government town planning department working in a range of urban planning, policy planning and strategic planning divisions. This included 4 years in the department’s transport planning branch, becoming a specialist in the integration of transport and land use. He developed a high level of expertise in planning for non-motorised modes of transport and many tasks focussed on the integration of cycling and walking with the provision of public transport.

He has gained considerable experience in public transport planning, and planning for cyclists and pedestrians, while working in the USA for the Portland Office of Transportation’s Regional Rail Program (Portland, Oregon, USA) during 1992/93.

Upon returning to WA Mike became the Senior Planner at Bikewest (in the Department of Transport) for 3 years prior to commencing his own planning consultancy in 1995. While Senior Planner at Bikewest he was Project Director for the Perth Bicycle Network Plan, as well as coordinating numerous other bicycle planning initiatives (including the developing Principal Shared Path network).

Mike was the Conference Director for the 1996 Velo Australis International Bicycle Conference (held in Fremantle) – one of the VeloCity Conferences series (held under the auspices of the European Cyclist Federation).

Mike Maher has the following tertiary qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Arts (Geography Major) – University of Western Australia
  • Diploma of Education (Urban Studies) – University of Western Australia
  • Graduate Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning – Curtin University

Professional or business associations Mike Maher – Transplan Pty Ltd:

  • Member of the National Trust of Australia (WA)
  • Member of RailTrails Australia
  • Life member of the Munda Biddi Trail Foundation (Former Chairman and Board Member)

Fiona Maher

Fiona has been a Director of the company since its inception in 1995 and has recently taken a more active role in the trails and bicycle planning operations of the company.

As a qualified teacher, she brings to the company an extensive background in dealing with school-aged children and health and fitness issues.

Fiona has the following qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Arts
  • Diploma of Education

Fiona’s main tasks are:

  • Undertaking background research and investigations relevant to the trail plan
  • Providing logistical support for fieldwork
  • Arranging Community Engagement sessions
  • Preparing illustrations and diagrams
  • Compiling fieldwork and community consultation notes.