".. roadway first, not a bloody bike track"

[cfsmtb]

Nice inclusive quote in the article by a minion from Shopping Spree Tours;

"Swanston St was originally and always should be a roadway first, not a bloody bike track," the spokesman said.

As a former innercity resident who endured the delights of Bus Season I've got some fighting words for you too mate. Including, Swanston may well be a roadway, but it's not a fkng loading bay.


***

City bus ban to favour bikes
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21972863-2862,00.html
June 27, 2007 12:00am

TOUR buses would be removed from Swanston St under a council plan to help make the CBD thoroughfare safer for cyclists. New bus stops would be built on Bourke St when the Southern Cross development is completed in two years' time. The council has encouraged people to ride into the city and Swanston St has become a popular cycling route.

A survey this year found an average of 2585 cyclists a day used the street. But the coaches parked between Lonsdale and Bourke streets have made the journey dangerous.

The Melbourne City Council called for public discussion over options to move the bus stops. Alternatives were for Lonsdale St between Russell and Swanston streets, and St Kilda Rd near Alexandra Gardens.

The council received 56 written submissions. Most cyclists and city residents backed Swanston St being bus-free. But tour operators and bus companies wanted the stops to stay.

A spokesman for Shopping Spree Tours described any plan to move the stops as irresponsible. "Swanston St was originally and always should be a roadway first, not a bloody bike track," the spokesman said.

Councillors will consider the proposals at a planning committee meeting on Tuesday.

 

[PiledHigher]

On Jun 27, 4:02 pm, cfsmtb <cfsmtb.2st...@no-
mx.forums.cyclingforums.com> wrote:
> Nice inclusive quote in the article by a minion from Shopping Spree
> Tours;
>
> "Swanston St was originally and always should be a roadway first, not a
> bloody bike track," the spokesman said.
>
> As a former innercity resident who endured the delights of Bus Season
> I've got some fighting words for you too mate. Including, Swanston may
> well be a roadway, but it's not a fkng loading bay.
>
> ***
>
> City bus ban to favour bikeshttp://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21972863-2862,00.html
> June 27, 2007 12:00am
>
> TOUR buses would be removed from Swanston St under a council plan to
> help make the CBD thoroughfare safer for cyclists. New bus stops would
> be built on Bourke St when the Southern Cross development is completed
> in two years' time. The council has encouraged people to ride into the
> city and Swanston St has become a popular cycling route.
>
> A survey this year found an average of 2585 cyclists a day used the
> street. But the coaches parked between Lonsdale and Bourke streets have
> made the journey dangerous.
>
> The Melbourne City Council called for public discussion over options to
> move the bus stops. Alternatives were for Lonsdale St between Russell
> and Swanston streets, and St Kilda Rd near Alexandra Gardens.
>
> The council received 56 written submissions. Most cyclists and city
> residents backed Swanston St being bus-free. But tour operators and bus
> companies wanted the stops to stay.
>
> A spokesman for Shopping Spree Tours described any plan to move the
> stops as irresponsible. "Swanston St was originally and always should
> be a roadway first, not a bloody bike track," the spokesman said.
>
> Councillors will consider the proposals at a planning committee meeting
> on Tuesday.
>
> --
> cfsmtb

In case you neede to talk to Shelly

Contact Details
PH: +61 3 9596 6600
E: [email protected]

 

[cfsmtb]

In case you neede to talk to Shelly

Contact Details
PH: +61 3 9596 6600
E: [email protected]

Or if you'd like to contact MCC and inform them of your admiration of this initiative, free feel to drop them an encouraging note.

Contact MCC
http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/info.cfm?top=23&pg=3454

Tour bus relocation proposal
http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/info.cfm?top=53&pa=731&pg=3625

Even though public comment closed a month ago, the respective staff at MCC probably would mind receiving encouraging feedback.

 

[MoreBikesPlease]

cfsmtb <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

>
> A spokesman for Shopping Spree Tours described any plan to move the
> stops as irresponsible. "Swanston St was originally and always should
> be a roadway first, not a bloody bike track," the spokesman said.
>
> Councillors will consider the proposals at a planning committee meeting
> on Tuesday.

.... and as a roadway, it's been used by cyclists for longer than it has by
motor vehicles!

 

[Peter Keller]

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 03:20:03 +0000, MoreBikesPlease wrote:

> cfsmtb <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
>
>> A spokesman for Shopping Spree Tours described any plan to move the
>> stops as irresponsible. "Swanston St was originally and always should
>> be a roadway first, not a bloody bike track," the spokesman said.
>>
>> Councillors will consider the proposals at a planning committee meeting
>> on Tuesday.
>
> ... and as a roadway, it's been used by cyclists for longer than it has
> by motor vehicles!

These thoughts are from someone who lived briefly in Melbourne over 20
years ago.
Swanston Street then was basically a place where almost stationary lines
of cars spent hours not doing much. Even pedestians could use this
"roadway" much better and faster than cars.
Has it "improved"?

Peter

--
The Kiwi bird is very aptly New Zealand's national emblem.
It is a bird which cannot fly.
It only comes out at night.
It has nostrils at the end of its long beak, and
It is always poking its nose into things.

 

[EuanB]

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 03:20:03 +0000, MoreBikesPlease wrote:
These thoughts are from someone who lived briefly in Melbourne over 20
years ago.
Swanston Street then was basically a place where almost stationary lines
of cars spent hours not doing much. Even pedestians could use this
"roadway" much better and faster than cars.
Has it "improved"?

The only vehicle traffic allowed on the stretch of Swanston Street I ride on, between Flinder's Street and La Trobe, are bicycles, busses, trams, cabs and vehicles engaged in delivering stuff to/from shops on Swanston Street.

The result is a road which is comparatively lightly travelled by motorised vehicles. Unforutnately this leads to complacency amongst pedestrians, I believer that stretch of road has the dubious distinction of having the most pedestrian collisions in Victoria, if not Australia.

Bike wise it's fine provided you accept that you may have to stick behind a tram rather than pass it on the left as parked trucks etc can make that rather hazardous.

 

[cfsmtb]

These thoughts are from someone who lived briefly in Melbourne over 20
years ago.
Swanston Street then was basically a place where almost stationary lines
of cars spent hours not doing much. Even pedestians could use this
"roadway" much better and faster than cars.
Has it "improved"?

How long is a piece of string?


The main CBD section of Swanston was closed off to motorised traffic in the 90's, then partially re-opened to placate the local traders in '99. IMHO the street has suffered badly from a lack of strong management from respective Melb City Council administrations and conflicting interests, but that's nothing unique in local politics. For all it's current drawbacks, at the least the street is no longer a traffic sewer for most of the day.

http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/info.cfm?top=53&pg=731

http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/info.cfm?top=192&pa=1752&pg=1786

Until the tour buses started breeding and creating issues for street users, as if the errant peds, 'rumble strips' and the occassional horse poo aren't bad enough. Further north up Swanston now has Copehagen lanes:
http://www.bv.com.au/change-the-world/11629/

 

[Ray]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...

> Further north up Swanston now has Copehagen
> lanes:
> http://www.bv.com.au/change-the-world/11629/
>

Strewth.
Do I see what I think I see in the very first picture of that web page?

A keep left sign on the traffic island between the bike and motor lanes.

Does that mean the cars can legitimately swerve into the bike lane
because that's what the sign instructs them to do....

This is a rare case where a "keep right" would be far more appropriate!

Cheers, Ray

 

[Michael Warner]

On Sun, 1 Jul 2007 17:01:49 +1000, EuanB wrote:

> The only vehicle traffic allowed on the stretch of Swanston Street I
> ride on, between Flinder's Street and La Trobe, are bicycles, busses,
> trams, cabs and vehicles engaged in delivering stuff to/from shops on
> Swanston Street.

I have to confess that when I drove to Melbourne some years ago,
I drove up Swanston St before realizing that it was strangely quiet, and
that I therefore probably wasn't supposed to.

No doubt there were signs telling me not to turn into it, but inner
Melbourne is so saturated with road signage (at least to my Adelaide
eyes) that I'm not surprised I missed them.

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw