Head-on Koonung Trail (Eastern Freeway Melbourne)

I had the unfortunate experience yesterday of arriving at the scene of a head on between two cyclists on a blind corner on the Koonung Trail East of Tram Rd. I ended up calling an ambulance for a man who had been knocked out by an approaching cyclist. It looks like a corner was cut and too much speed was involved.

I thought I'd post a warning that if you are riding around that corner be careful. The guy's going to have a pretty bad headache for a few days (he still couldn't remember his address when the ambulance arrived). The other rider managed to duck so he copped a blow to the top of his helmet, whilst the unconcious guy copped it in the face. The less harmed rider suffered a destroyed front wheel and a long walk though.

Nasty - hope the KO'd fella pulls up alright.

There's a few blind corners on that trail if I remember. Always pays to expect someone to be around them at all times & ride accordingly.

Not very nice at all. Hope the fella is OK!

There are lots of places where there is no vision through corners but common sense usually prevails... slow down and stay left.

You really don't know what might be around the corner.... walkers always appear at the most inconvenient times so one needs to ride with that in mind.

Cheers
Ant

Being an engineer and having learnt a lot about sight distances etc. in highway design I thought that I would have a look at what (if any) guidelines there were in relation to bike paths. Having a good engineering library helps and I found that Austroads (a highway design body based in Sydney) recommends that a design speed of 30km/h (based on memory from looking at the code a week ago) be for any bike path. It also goes on to state that a design speed of 50km/h should be used for a bike path that could be used for commuting (again going on memory).

From this it (the Austroads code) then goes on to give a minimum sight distance (the distance that a cyclist / walker could see ahead with no obstruction) of 36m (based on a design speed of 30km/h). The corner on Koonung Trail which is on a bike path constructed after the issue of the Austroads code that I was viewing certainly did not have a sight distance of 36m.

Here's my problem: I know that there is a design flaw in the bike path. I know that the corner is unsafe. My wife works for VicRoads. I am an engineer (albeit a structural engineer). The only solution I can see to this unsafe corner is to buy the house that is on the corner, move the power pole that is on the corner and re-align the bike path (a very expensive exersice). What should I do?

I have actually started to draft a letter to VicRoads, however does anyone think this is worthwhile?

Comments welcome.

How about some warning signs?

__________________
"All that we see and seem is but a dream, within a dream..."

definately!
it's both foreseeable and preventable, so definately worthwhile.
the authorities can't hide from this if you bring it to their attention, they must act or their liability for any further injuries on that corner will have to respond - something that they won't want!

Probably this isn't a practical idea, & don't I know if it would work, but what about installing an extra large security mirror (like those domed ones up high in some stores). It would have to be angled in such a way that no dazzling would occur. Would not prevent accidents involving excessive speed though, so it would have to be combined with warning and reduce speed signs. Purchasing and moving a house sounds expensive.

This idea does have merit. As a car driver, I find these mirrors reduce the possibility of a crash by revealing approaching cars that cannot be seen or much less heard. I've never seen these convex mirrors employed in a bike track/shared cyclist-pedestrian track setting but I suspect they would provide some benefit.

Otherwise, advisory signs warning cyclists of the consequences of travelling too fast and colliding with pedestrians are a definite must. THey exist where I ride and the cyclists I see behave well (sometimes though it is arrogant pedestrians who deliberately 'goad' cyclists into having an accident!).

__________________

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride it where I like."
—Freddie Mercury, 'Bicycle Race'

i've seen one of those mirrors on a bike/walking path before - covered in graffitti it is - useless now...