Brisbane in gridlock - crack in city motorway pylon

[The Real Andy]

On Wed, 18 Oct 2006 09:35:45 +1000, asterope
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>monsterman Wrote:
>> Waiting at lights at Stanly street just past Chalk Hotel this morning at
>> around 7am and there were 11 bikes queued up. I've never seen so many
>> bikes on the roads. Fantastic. Did my slowest ever commute time
>> today. Rode most of way one handed to protect sore ribs. Ouch
>> (again). Would have jumped the bus if not for the traffic chaos.
>> Should have bought near a train line.
>thanks for the heads-up that the bike lane under the overpass is
>closed... im going to take the route to uni through the city for a
>change tommorow and friday
>
>and *hooray* for scooters and the ability to lanesplit and make
>motorists sick with jealousy to get to work yesterday and later on
>today.

I scooter it. The moterists hate it, some even try to move over to
stop you getting through. I just weave behind and up the other side!

 

[The Real Andy]

On Thu, 19 Oct 2006 17:25:19 +1000, Paulie-AU
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>asterope Wrote:
>> took me 10 minutes to get out of ashgrove and 35 minutes to get to the
>> 'gabba yesterday on my way to work (and thats on a scooter!) leaving
>> home at 3:45pm.
>> I thought 45 minutes to get 18kms was alot of leeway... i think i was a
>> bit optimistic... as i found out 1hr and 10mins later.
>>
>That isn't very dedicated lane splitting. Remember if you can fit
>through at 10km/h you can fit through at 50km/h . Of course if it
>all goes wrong...

Thats my theory. I have only had one stack and that was in a quiet
street with noone around and i dont remember a single thing. The
firies reckon i was hit, but i reckon not.

 

[adam85]

"Paulie-AU" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news[email protected]...
>
> asterope Wrote:
>> took me 10 minutes to get out of ashgrove and 35 minutes to get to the
>> 'gabba yesterday on my way to work (and thats on a scooter!) leaving
>> home at 3:45pm.
>> I thought 45 minutes to get 18kms was alot of leeway... i think i was a
>> bit optimistic... as i found out 1hr and 10mins later.
>>
> That isn't very dedicated lane splitting. Remember if you can fit
> through at 10km/h you can fit through at 50km/h . Of course if it
> all goes wrong...
>
>
> --
> Paulie-AU

Scooter riders who don't know how to lanesplit really **** me off. They
lanesplit and then stop every time the gap start to get a bit tight and
don't move out of the way. A lot of scooter riders in brizvegas balk at gaps
you could punt a holda goldwing through! "**** or get off the pot" as they
say. I've tried gentle and positive reinforcement, but the next one is going
to get an earful.

Or maybe I'm just grumpy because I'm doing my tax return

Adam

 

[asterope]

"Paulie-AU" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news[email protected]...
>
> asterope Wrote:
>> took me 10 minutes to get out of ashgrove and 35 minutes to get to the
>> 'gabba yesterday on my way to work (and thats on a scooter!) leaving
>> home at 3:45pm.
>> I thought 45 minutes to get 18kms was alot of leeway... i think i was a
>> bit optimistic... as i found out 1hr and 10mins later.
>>
> That isn't very dedicated lane splitting. Remember if you can fit
> through at 10km/h you can fit through at 50km/h . Of course if it
> all goes wrong...
>
>
> --
> Paulie-AU

Scooter riders who don't know how to lanesplit really **** me off. They
lanesplit and then stop every time the gap start to get a bit tight and
don't move out of the way. A lot of scooter riders in brizvegas balk at gaps
you could punt a holda goldwing through! "**** or get off the pot" as they
say. I've tried gentle and positive reinforcement, but the next one is going
to get an earful.

Or maybe I'm just grumpy because I'm doing my tax return

Adam

I dont think its the tax return talking adam... its pretty stupid not to get out of the way if your split comes to a halt... after all, its pretty easy to sandwich a scooter between two cars and its just common courtesy seeing as how the white lines arent actually a lane!
Ive noticed it too, and it gets a head-shake from me every time.

 

[Zebee Johnstone]

In aus.bicycle on Fri, 20 Oct 2006 06:35:08 +1000
asterope <[email protected]> wrote:
> I dont think its the tax return talking adam... its pretty stupid not
> to get out of the way if your split comes to a halt... after all, its
> pretty easy to sandwich a scooter between two cars and its just common
> courtesy seeing as how the white lines arent actually a lane!
> Ive noticed it too, and it gets a head-shake from me every time.

Depends on the motorbike some.... A really tiny scooter maybe, but
some of them are too big to do that with.

I have also seen people (and once, was one such person...) who think
"I can get through" and can't. Which is a very uncomfortable place to
be in!

If the pushie is splitting up the left side, they can always get up
onto the footpath. If they are splitting up the middle they get to
deal

Zebee

 

[Donga]

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20612747-421,00.html
I't s not much, but at least it's a start.. bikes finally get a mention
- and our CBD BUG too!

No free ride for crowded commuters
Rosanne Barrett and Stuart Sherwin

October 20, 2006 12:00am
Article from:


THE Queensland State Government has rejected calls for free public
transport to be introduced until Brisbane's congestion crisis is over.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Paul Lucas said the closure of the
Riverside Expressway , due to cracks in the on ramps, had already
stretched trains and buses to capacity.

And he said the thousands of drivers who have switched to trains and
buses were already saving money.

"We'd love more people to catch public transport permanently," he said.
"But I don't really think that's an appropriate use of funds because
it's cheaper anyway."

Rail patronage on Wednesday was up 20 per cent while bus use increased
by between 10 and 20 per cent.

Traffic on the southeast busway increased as people attempted to avoid
traffic delays.

Queensland Greens spokesman Greg George said the Government was wrong
to reject its radical call to scrap all fares.

"Public transport free for the duration -- it is the least the
Government could do," he said. "The opening of bus lanes and transit
lanes to all traffic should be stopped too. That is the kind of
thinking which has put us in this vulnerable position."

He said the case for major investment in public transport was now
clear.

"Sydney has proved that no amount of road building will avoid
gridlock," he added. "Public transport here in Brisbane is
under-funded, many services are poor, there are blockages in the
network and our bus and train fleets are too small.

"If we had been working on these problems, the closure of the Riverside
Expressway would not have had the impact it is having."

His views were supported by urban design expert Dr Danny O'Hare, of
Queensland University of Technology.

"The reality is that our existing investment in trains and buses isn't
suited to meeting increased demand," he said.

"Knee-jerk" demands for the Hale Street Bridge to be built were
misguided.

"History has shown that traffic will simply expand to fill the space,"
he said. "Our dependency will just be raised to a higher lever -- with
worse symptoms if a problem develops."

Calls to scrap the bridge were made by Brisbane CBD Bicycle User Group.


"The only transport moving at normal speeds on the roads are the
bikes," group convenor Paul Murdoch said.

Although environmental groups don't expect an immediate change of
thinking, there may be some good green news around the corner.

Research by the UK's Department of Environment has shown traffic flows
fall by an average of 20 per cent when closed roads are reopened.

 

[BrettS]

Donga wrote:
> http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20612747-421,00.html
> I't s not much, but at least it's a start.. bikes finally get a mention
> - and our CBD BUG too!
>
> No free ride for crowded commuters
> Rosanne Barrett and Stuart Sherwin
>
> October 20, 2006 12:00am
> Article from:
>
>
> THE Queensland State Government has rejected calls for free public
> transport to be introduced until Brisbane's congestion crisis is over.
>
> Transport and Main Roads Minister Paul Lucas said the closure of the
> Riverside Expressway , due to cracks in the on ramps, had already
> stretched trains and buses to capacity.
<snip>
> Queensland Greens spokesman Greg George said the Government was wrong
> to reject its radical call to scrap all fares.
>
> "Public transport free for the duration -- it is the least the
> Government could do," he said. "The opening of bus lanes and transit
> lanes to all traffic should be stopped too. That is the kind of
> thinking which has put us in this vulnerable position."

Does Mr George think he should get free taxi rides when his car breaks
down? The guy is in desperate need of a hit with a clue stick.

> He said the case for major investment in public transport was now
> clear.

That's fair enough, but Free public transport? I don't think so.

> Calls to scrap the bridge were made by Brisbane CBD Bicycle User Group.
>
> "The only transport moving at normal speeds on the roads are the
> bikes," group convenor Paul Murdoch said.

Nice...

--
BrettS

 

[Tamyka Bell]

BrettS wrote:
>
> Donga wrote:
> > http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20612747-421,00.html
> > I't s not much, but at least it's a start.. bikes finally get a mention
> > - and our CBD BUG too!
> >
> > No free ride for crowded commuters
> > Rosanne Barrett and Stuart Sherwin
> >
> > October 20, 2006 12:00am
> > Article from:
> >
> >
> > THE Queensland State Government has rejected calls for free public
> > transport to be introduced until Brisbane's congestion crisis is over.
> >
> > Transport and Main Roads Minister Paul Lucas said the closure of the
> > Riverside Expressway , due to cracks in the on ramps, had already
> > stretched trains and buses to capacity.
> <snip>
> > Queensland Greens spokesman Greg George said the Government was wrong
> > to reject its radical call to scrap all fares.
> >
> > "Public transport free for the duration -- it is the least the
> > Government could do," he said. "The opening of bus lanes and transit
> > lanes to all traffic should be stopped too. That is the kind of
> > thinking which has put us in this vulnerable position."
>
> Does Mr George think he should get free taxi rides when his car breaks
> down? The guy is in desperate need of a hit with a clue stick.

Well said. I liked the Government's comment that public
transport was cheaper than driving - basically, "what are
they complaining about?!"

> > He said the case for major investment in public transport was now
> > clear.
>
> That's fair enough, but Free public transport? I don't think so.
>
> > Calls to scrap the bridge were made by Brisbane CBD Bicycle User Group.
> >
> > "The only transport moving at normal speeds on the roads are the
> > bikes," group convenor Paul Murdoch said.
>
> Nice...

Yeah, and the cyclists are smiling and waving at the traffic
(oh, and gloating)...

T

 

[LotteBum]

Yeah, and the cyclists are smiling and waving at the traffic
(oh, and gloating)...

I don't think I've ever felt as good as I did this morning. Last Thursday's ride from hell is being paid for now.

 

[Tamyka Bell]

LotteBum wrote:
>
> Tamyka Bell Wrote:
> > Yeah, and the cyclists are smiling and waving at the traffic
> > (oh, and gloating)...
> I don't think I've ever felt as good as I did this morning. Last
> Thursday's ride from hell is being paid for now.

Even that guy that hung out the window to yell at us on
Milton Rd or whatever... all I could do was smile, wave, and
yell out, "I love you too, have a great dayyyy!!"

T

 

[Donga]

Have fun, funsters!

Donga

TELL US HOW YOU GET TO WORK
The Courier Mail, October 25, 2006 12:00am
http://tinyurl.com/w8z5y

FILL in our on-line transport survey and you could win one of 10 (1-23
zone) weekly tickets on the TransLink network.

We'd like to know how you usually get to work, how the Riverside
expressway closure affected your transport habits and, if you started
using public transport last week, what you thought of it.

 

[cfsmtb]

Have fun, funsters!

Donga

TELL US HOW YOU GET TO WORK
The Courier Mail, October 25, 2006 12:00am
http://tinyurl.com/w8z5y

FILL in our on-line transport survey and you could win one of 10 (1-23
zone) weekly tickets on the TransLink network.

Sent this to the Bike-QLD list yet? Yani's gonna love it.