Bicycle Network Victoria: Ride On magazine

Road discrimination

Apr-May 2011

I recently rode from Barwon Heads to Melbourne, travelling on the ferry from Queenscliff.

While riding through Sorrento and Blairgowrie, I was most impressed with the wide bike path which ran alongside the road. It was very clearly marked and gave plenty of room for parked cars and for cyclists to ride next to each other. However, the road had been resurfaced, but the bike path was not. In many places, the bike path was full of pot-holes at the edge of the new road, which is where cyclists are supposed to ride in.

On many occasions I was forced to ride either on the road with the cars or in the parking lane. I am amazed that someone could decide to resurface a road and totally neglect the bike path right next to it. What will it take for governments to do their job properly?

Andy McNeilly, Barwon Heads, VIC

Roundabout solution

Apr-May 2011

Emma Clark's article on roundabouts in your last issue made interesting reading and I agree with most of what she said. I would like to add to the reasons listed for occupying the lane when negotiating a roundabout.

As well as making you visible and minimising the risk of being squeezed by cars attempting to pass you in the roundabout, this position on the road gives you an emergency escape route towards or even onto the centre island if a vehicle fails to give way and enters the roundabout to your left.

I strongly disagree, however, with the conclusion in the sidebar ‘Demanding Change’
that the ideal solution is to replace all roundabouts with traffic signals. While I agree that negotiating a right turn at a busy roundabout is daunting for the novice and demands caution for all, it is likely to provide a safer and quicker passage than would be found at the same intersection controlled by stop signs or give-way signs.

Traffic signals are obviously much slower on average and are not necessarily any safer as they add the risk of red-light runners, can make right turns more difficult, and put you at increased risk every time you have to restart from a dead stop. They are preferable to multi-lane roundabouts at large intersections, but in quieter streets, roundabouts foster better traffic flow for all road users, but most especially cyclists who can often pass through safely without losing any of that precious momentum.

Steve Yates, Perth, WA

Canning confusion

October 2010

I have to confess amazement at the shenanigans around the Pigdon/Canning Street intersection in Carlton, Melbourne. The original works transformed a simple roundabout into something resembling the mutant love-child of a roundabout and miscellaneous detritus from a Council works depot. In the weeks that followed, the only thing rising faster than greenhouse gas emissions was the number of advisory signs to help cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians navigate this mess.

Today, Bicycle Network Victoria and Yarra Council have announced that the intersection is being reverted to a roundabout, and the stop signs are being removed.

May I humbly suggest that the traffic engineers need do no more than cast a wee beady eye some 200m south, to the intersection of Richardson and Canning Streets. This is an intersection which works, is clear and unambiguous, and provides a consistent experience for cyclists along Canning Street, as well as any drivers which use both Pigdon and Richardson Streets to cross Canning Street. The question of why the same type of intersection was not adopted back in April should be investigated to ensure that already scarce funds for improving bicycling infrastructure are not wasted in a similar fashion again.

Paul Edwards, Fitzroy North, VIC

Sydney Road lanes "useless"

October 2010

I am dismayed by BV's unqualified support for the new "bike lanes" on Sydney Rd, which at best can only be described as cynical pre-election tokenism.

Besides being barely a half-metre wide on the gutter-verge of some of the most broken and dangerous bitumen in Melbourne, these "lanes" pass directly through all the parking bays and are thus useless. BV correctly criticised this practice when the Melbourne city council used it in La Trobe St.

Such token measures actually erode riders' rights and should be banned - I was nearly sideswiped on Sydney Rd this week by a motorist yelling "Stay in your own f-ing lane". I hope to see a more critical position from BV on this issue and the removal of the fake Sydney Rd "bike lanes".

Dave Balaic, Coburg VIC

Slippery when wet

August 2010

Some time ago I wrote to Bicycle Network Victoria to complain about the raised plastic dimples that are used for visibility and supposedly anti-slip at key crossing points on many of our bike paths. One of my riding colleagues fell off when he slipped in the wet on this surface, giving himself minor concussion.

My bike always slips a little in the wet, and I now consciously take my feet out of the cleats, or even walk across these surfaces. I am told by someone in the floor safety industry that this surface finish was designed for blind people in dry environments.

I have to ask again why are new bikes paths being constructed with this material when it is so obviously dangerous in the wet?

Greg Weston, Williamstown, VIC

Boulevard blues

August 2010

When are we going to get rid of Melbourne's worst piece of cycling infrastructure, the Kew Boulevard bike lane?

Starting just south of the freeway overpass, this monstrosity defies reason. Riders approaching from the Chandler Highway are forced to stop to cross the path of traffic coming in both directions, losing all the momentum that would have been so handy to get them up the hill they now face.

Once entered the rider is on a very narrow two-way path that climbs then plummets down a long, fast descent where they pass riders going the other way by a matter of inches. If a climbing rider pulls out to overtake the situation becomes very dangerous as there is no room to escape. At the southern end the rider again loses all momentum for the next climb and must cross the path of traffic traveling both ways.

At the northern end it just sort of ends on the footpath, leaving the rider uncertain of where to go. The design is so bad and counterintuitive that the path is pretty much ignored by city-bound cyclists; instead they choose the road, which, due to the path and adjoining median strip, is dramatically narrowed, making it more treacherous.

To top it off, this path is in the middle of nowhere, doesn't go anywhere and has no real reason to exist. It just makes no sense and does nothing to make riding the boulevard safer but a lot to make this extremely popular stretch of road more dangerous.

As an experiment it is a dismal failure. Get rid of it now.

Malcolm Doreian, Rosanna VIC

Organised car chaos

June 2010

I suggest that Bicycle Network Victoria organise a Drive to Work Day. The intention would be to cause short-term traffic chaos for the greater good.

Although many riders use a car at times, there are many motorists who never cycle and who have only negative attitudes towards riders. Promoted the right way, this event would help them realise that every rider is helping to relieve congestion on the roads. They might start to see riders in a new light, and treat them better, ultimately resulting in More People Cycling More Often.

Henry Grebler, Caulfield South, VIC

Bollard danger

April 2010

Ride On has drawn my attention to the excellent work Bicycle Network Victoria is doing in lobbying for changes to reduce injuries caused by riders hitting bollards. However, I was interested to see that there is little emphasis on the danger posed by sharp turns at the approaches to bridges with bollards.

There are many instances where paths running alongside creeks turn sharply through 90 degrees next to a bridge slung straight across the creek. In these cases, the bollards are frequently obscured by the bridge handrails until the rider enters the turn, when it is too late to avoid an accident. One of my senior friends had a total hip replacement following a low speed crash at such a bollard.

Maybe Bicycle Network Victoria should add an example of this case to the bollard section of the website?

David Hall, Blackburn VIC

EDITOR’S NOTE: Bollard information on the web site has recently been updated. Click here for a link to the page.

Bike unfriendly gardens

17 November 2008

I rode the bike paths of Knox for years as a child and only in the last year have I started to do them again.

Trying to combine cycling with most of my weekend activities has been great....till I came across a negative attitude.

On completing the ride along the Ferny Creek bike path (where it terminates at Stud Road) I decided to have a look in Carribean gardens....only to find that not only do you have to pay full price....but you have to leave your bike at the gatehouse and walk the rest of the way in.

I find it amazing that in an era of increased awareness of the effects of climate change and our increasing concerns at petrol prices, that such a policy would be deemed as being fair. I wonder if anyone else has come across little gems like this.

Dale Webb

Cranbourne VIC

Tragedy highlights bad behaviour

18 September 2008

A young woman was killed in Swanston St this morning. It could have so easily been me or, of course, maybe you. Other than the obvious tragedy before us, and our deep and heartfelt sympathy for her family, two things struck me about the public reaction this morning. Firstly, while people expressed sadness and regret, the overwhelming response on talk back and forums like the Herald Sun blog was to note how many cyclists break road rules and the extent to which this erodes the respect afforded us from the general public. The second thing I thought about, as I commuted home through the CBD pondering today's horrific events, was how many cyclists lived up to the illegal behaviour we're accused of: running pedestrian lights, weaving through tram safety zones, turning left against red lights, pre-empting lights by drifting into the middle of intersections, weaving into traffic around cars that are trying to park, rather than just being a little more patient. I'm not suggesting this unfortunate young woman did anything wrong. I'm simply trying to understand why, when a great tragedy befalls a cyclist, the public's reaction is to deny cyclists our place on the road at all.

Melanie Wiese

Fitzroy VIC

Dangerous drain covers

28 August 2008

I would like to draw Monash Council’s attention to potentially dangerous drain covers (see attached photo) in the public car park behind shops on the north-eastern side of the intersection of Clayton Road and Princes Highway. This car park can be accessed both from Glenbrook Avenue and Clayton Road, the latter via a laneway. The construction of the covers uses parallel bars which in places are wide enough to allow even the widest bicycle tires through, thus presenting a considerable danger to unwary cyclists travelling though the car park especially at night. The drain covers of concern have remained like this for at least all of 2008. Other drains in the car park have had their covers replaced by chevron pattern covers, as can be seen for example further back in the photograph.

Would the Council please arrange to have these covers replaced by ones of safer and more suitable design as promptly as possible thus removing a serious potential hazard from this regularly trafficked area.

John Foster

Glen Waverley, VIC

Cars and bikes don't mix

13 August 2008

I'm an over 60 recreational cyclist and thinking about the future of commuter cycling in big cities. For a new young cyclist city traffic would be a challenge, but for us oldies it's terrifying. Cars and cycles are just incompatible, they are two different transport modes (you could probably include motor bikes and scooters as well). That's why they both need separate dedicated roads, as in parts of Europe. Cars will never replace bikes; and bikes will never replace cars, however they can be designed to work together each in its own niche. Let's hope fuel goes to $8 per litre then the only car drivers will be from Toorak! (That was suggested by a government/industry panel on TV recently). Melbourne would be a cyclist's paradise (scooters as well). I lived in Canberra a few years ago and their cycleway network was marvellous, glad to see the government is promoting its use.

Ron E Walker

Diamond Creek VIC