Opposition wants ACT bike lanes removed

What does everyone think of this. http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200610/s1763729.htm

I actually prefer no 'on road bike lanes' as I believe they create a un-necessary distinction between cyclists and other road users (a sort of road user 'apartheid').

Reading so many threads on different cycling and motoring forums, from around the world, about incidents between various roadusers, many of them conflicts involving 'on road bike lanes'.

 

I think bike lanes are a great idea. Certainly much safer for the cyclist. I've gone past cyclists on the road and I wince everytime I pass one. I give as wide a berth as I safely can (factoring on-coming traffic) but I can't account for some mishap happening, either at my end or the cyclists.

Link to ABC article here: click

I live in Darwin too, and I reckon the work with regards to cycle lanes is a positive. I can only hope more are introduced.

 

I'd prefer to see wider left hand lanes that allow room for cyclists to get out of the way of the traffic flow if needed without being segregated into marked bike lanes.

 

Wow! The difference in the mindset of different countries, you guys are indeed fortunate to have had a forward thinking government official that instigated the building of cycle lanes. Cycle lanes are few and far between in South Africa and those in existence, around schools were mostly funded privately.

It’s an issue the government addresses before elections, and then gets put on the back burner. Our cycling reps regularly lobby for the provision of lanes and all the recommendations and routes are already laid out. I think it would be a great blow for your cycling community to loose any existing lanes.

 

ahahahahahahahahah what a joke. Our cycling lanes are a fucking joke. Basically they are put right next to parked cars, in the door zone. I dont and no one else should ride there either.

 

not to mention the ones without parked cars in them are usually strewn with glass, bottles, rocks and debris swept into them after a car accident.

 

My personal favourites are the ones that end without warning and spit you back out into the traffic at the most dangerous spot possible.

 

Agree with all of the above. I nearly got cleaned up a couple of weeks ago when I had to move from a bike lane back into traffic to avoid the boat and trailer which has been parked in the bike lane for the last couple of months.Bike lanes on the face of it look like a good idea but in reality they are a political quick-fix i.e.it's easier and cheaper to paint a line than to build shared use bike/pedestrian paths.
All those unused footpaths that we can't legally ride on.What a waste.

 

I went on the Brisbane to the Gold Cost challenge yesterday, I was really pleased with the progress that the Gold Coast city council has made with cycle lanes. Although the road closures currently around for Indy increased the traffic, it was a pretty pleasant ride.

One thing I think is a total waste is the South east Bus way. This should be open to bikes all the time. The traffic is negligable, the lanes are wide and clean (no debris). We could quite easily share that road with the buses, as they are planning for the green bridge (Dutton Park to St Lucia).
Perhaps that is a little to practicle for the politiatians and would not play in to the hands of the oil cartels

 

The main thing with the busway is that the south east transit bikeway was built right beside it in important sections it is just that they are yet to be linked and opened. I would not want to ride on the busway !

beauyboy

 

Only on some roads, much less than 1%. Cars are not supposed to drive or park there. When you come across a CL it is often just a short section leading up to & after traffic lights for eg. Then you come across a sign letting you know the CL has ended.

Most of the routes I pick from home, have a tarred shoulder suitable for riding in. You still tend to ride close to the white lane / shoulder dividing line to keep away from most of the roadside crud.
Edit:- hey Howard what are u doin postin in the A & NZ forum anyway

 

I am pro cycle lanes, mainly because they emphasis that bikes belong on the road, and they have resulted in some roads that were tricky pre-lane to become more cycle friendly.

I learnt the hard way that the lane isn't a magic barrier, so now I ride as if the lane isn't there, jumping out to claim the road as required, riding on or just to the right of the line to avoid doors and pedestrians etc.

 

Opposition wants ACT bike lanes removed

The ACT Opposition says the Government should remove bicycle lanes from Canberra's busiest roads, because they pose a danger to cyclists and drivers.

The NRMA has released a study showing that 40 per cent of the capital's regular cyclists have had an accident or near miss in a cycling lane last year.

It has also criticised the width of bike lanes in the Territory, saying the Government's decision to narrow the road lanes to include cycle-ways was a cost cutting measure.

The Opposition's Steve Pratt says the bike lanes need to be removed.

"Cars turning left into crossroad intersections, cars turning into driveways, have great difficulty," he said.

"It's very unsafe for cyclists in those sorts of conditions, so we would seek to have road cycle lanes removed under those conditions."

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The above article was the premise of this thread so I'll address it's content before moving on to other post comments.

This is obviously one persons opinion, and you may not agree with, but I've ridden on both open roads in NSW and designated bike lanes here on the Gold Coast. I cover around 20k on the bike so have seen my share of idiots and incidences on the roads.

Now to the article I think the comments from the ACT oppositiion are miss-informed. To remove a bike specific lane and not replace it with an alternative shows a lack of knowledge or interest in cyclists.

It's better to have a designated area for a cyclist to ride as the alternative is that we would take up part of a laneway.

I find the NRMA study interesting, I wonder if they asked those same 40% of cyclist if they had also had an accident or near miss on a road without a cycle lane what their answer would be ?

A laneway on a road has to obvisously be a minimum width to accomodate trucks and Buses and other large vehicles, therefore I think that his lane width arguement has no basis, the lanes will always be wide enough for a vehicle to use safely.

Steve Pratt's comments are nieve and unfortunately represent a majority of road users in that cyclist are seen as an inconvenience to motorist and should be removed from the roads. The only reason a car would have great difficulty in relation to bikes is if they are to impatient to let a bike pass before turning, as we have all experienced motorist always underestimate the speed which a bike travels and more often than not will cut us off when making left hand turns and such.

I agree with Mr Pratt in that conditions where a car will cut off cyclists in unsafe, but why not educate motorists, rather than remove cycle lanes.

Being able to now ride in designated cycle lanes here on the Gold Coast I feel somewhat protected, but am still very aware of my surroundings, car doors, Turning Cars, lanes ending, etc. I have found that if there is an incident and I've been in the cycle lane the law will protect me, similar to a pedestrian being on a crossing (if they hit me it's their fault).

Now to the post comments,

If you find that there is a lot of glass and debree in the cycle lanes then why not send a letter to your local council, request an increase in the frequency of cleaning.

If your riding in cycle lanes not paying attention to your surroundings then yes a car door might put you off or a rouge pedestrian. Perhaps you need to be more aware of your surroundings whilst riding in general. The safest place for the cycle lane is on the side of the road I don't think well ever get the perfect situation where only cyclist and not cars or pedestrians can use a road.

Shared bike/pedestrian paths are perfect for the recreational rider who would for the most part ride below 20km, however, once a cyclists speed increases above this it becomes dangerous for pedestrians and they in turn would have a similar problem that we do with cars, best to leave the pedestrians to their own paths.

So in closing I believe that dedicated bike lanes are beneficial for cyclist and there should be more of them. Cyclist should use them when they are avaialble and an increase in diver/cyclist eduction will reduce the number of incidences involving bike lanes in general.

It's easy to complain about the state of bike lanes but would be be safer in their absence ??

 

The problem with requesting local councils to clean up the edge of the road is that they do it with a mechanical street-sweeper which can't reach large parts of the area to be cleaned due to motor vehicles being (legally) parked there.
Bike lanes would be fine if there were no vehicles parked there but that's not going to happen.
Cyclists should have the option to ride on footpaths where cycling lanes are blocked,with the proviso that areas of high pedestrian usage (CBDs,shopping centres etc.) should be off limits to cyclists and cycling lanes there should be kept clear for their intended purpose.
I counted the number of pedestrians who walked past my house recently.In a 1.5 hour period (7.30 - 9.00 a.m...15 pedestrians using an area wider than the dedicated bike lane ).The footpath is 3.3m wide,1.1m of that is paved...the bike lane is 1.2m wide in some places and wide enough to park a semi-trailer in others.The wider bike lanes are unusable for cyclists as they are full of parked cars.It appears to be legal to park motor vehicles in bike lanes according to the local police.

 

He does not appear to be talking about removing the cyclists, just the lanes. This would simply make it easier for cyclists to claim the ordinary traffic lane, as is their right.
If he really is talking about banning cyclists from ACT roads, count me in on the civil disobedience campaign - I'll happily take part in a "ride the ACT" weekend under those circumstances.
In any case, what the opposition thinks in the ACT is of less relevance than anywhere else in Australia, is it not?

 

i googled the guy's name (pratt) and found that you can contact him via a 'canberra liberals' website feedback option.
send your responses to;
http://www.canberraliberals.org.au/default.cfm?action=contact

 

I tend to agree. A mate of mine was riding in a cycle lane and got cleaned up by a motorist who had left his rear left-hand door open!!

 

Good call. I have more regard for the nondescript stuff I scrape off the soles of my shoes than I have for state Liberal parties in opposition.
However, they tend to come out with populist crap like this all too frequently. Reckon it would strike a chord with a lot of people who don't know better.