24 hr bike lanes...
I mentioned this in my blog the other day on here, but didn't get any nibbles of conversation so I thought I would put it out front for discussion... Making bike lanes in SA 24 hour...
I have been thinking about the bike lanes we have and how many times riding home from work (Norwood to Mitchell Park) I have to dodge cars parked in bike lanes because I am still riding after 6 pm (and sometimes I have to dodge them before 6pm too!
Also, riding both to and from work on a Saturday I have to dodge every car that doesn't move for most weekends.
All of this puts my life at risk because it narrows the road and/or lane and then cars try to squeeze past in order to get where they are going instead of patiently waiting for me to pass the parked car before trying to pass me.
This is a bad situation that is highlighted in a blog called "claim your lane" at http://www.coolbiking.com/blog/cycling/cycling-tips/claim-your-lane...
Unlike the situation described in the above blog, we do have a fair network of bike lanes around the city and suburbs (although some north of the city would point to the disappearance of some of their bike lanes) and I think that we should be allowed to make the most of these lanes. For me, this means protecting the people who use them at any time they choose (or need) to use them.
I am starting a discussion here that I will be talking to people higher about and that is the implementation of a change in legislation that would require the deleting of very few, but very important, words... "between the hours of..."
I think it is time to begin this discussion here and with Government.
What do you think?
I have been thinking about the bike lanes we have and how many times riding home from work (Norwood to Mitchell Park) I have to dodge cars parked in bike lanes because I am still riding after 6 pm (and sometimes I have to dodge them before 6pm too!
Also, riding both to and from work on a Saturday I have to dodge every car that doesn't move for most weekends.
All of this puts my life at risk because it narrows the road and/or lane and then cars try to squeeze past in order to get where they are going instead of patiently waiting for me to pass the parked car before trying to pass me.
This is a bad situation that is highlighted in a blog called "claim your lane" at http://www.coolbiking.com/blog/cycling/cycling-tips/claim-your-lane...
Unlike the situation described in the above blog, we do have a fair network of bike lanes around the city and suburbs (although some north of the city would point to the disappearance of some of their bike lanes) and I think that we should be allowed to make the most of these lanes. For me, this means protecting the people who use them at any time they choose (or need) to use them.
I am starting a discussion here that I will be talking to people higher about and that is the implementation of a change in legislation that would require the deleting of very few, but very important, words... "between the hours of..."
I think it is time to begin this discussion here and with Government.
What do you think?
- Attachments:
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Claim Your Lane! Part I.pdf, 313 KB -
Claim Your Lane! Part II.pdf, 275 KB
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Claim Your Lane! Part III.pdf, 281 KB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by David Bowler on -
One suggestion I have been meaning to make to the pollies is that bike lanes which only operate for certain times should have timed parking at other times. While ideally we would like all bike lanes to operate 24 hours a day, many only operate at peak times, which is better than nothing and at least the lines define the road space even outside bike lane hours except when cars park there. While a few cars is annoying, I can appreciate for some businesses, they need somewhere for customers to be able to park and may not have anywhere else. What is really annoying though is when they park cars there all day - either staff or the worst offenders are the car sales which use the road as and extension of their sales yard and end up with a long string of cars which are much harder to get around than one or two isolated cars. If parking in bike lanes outside the ours they operate was limited to one or two hours, that would not normally impact on customers, but it would stop the abuse of leaving cars there all day, thus making it significantly safer for cyclists.
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Permalink Reply by Richard Gawel on -
While 24hr lanes would be ideal, I believe we should abide by our mantra of "sharing the road". Many bike lanes which are not 24hr are in quieter streets and outside their designated times are valuable to local residents and ratepayers as parking. I just think how I would feel if my council made it illegal for me to park outside my house 24/7. I'm certain there are some non-24hr lanes which should be 24hr lanes, but that is another matter again.
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Permalink Reply by Wombat on -
I had this exact problem when I lived on cross road. First came the bike lane down Chitral Tce (which one morning cost me about $300 because I parked my car in it the niht before and then slept through an RDO) and then came the traffic lights which made illegal to park on Cross Road.
The govt are happy to do it in some cases and not others. There are some major routes through the suburbs that are just nasty after 6 at night for me (and for others I would wager) so why not do it? Small community pain for saved lives and a less dangerous commute for hose riding outside of so called peak times.
Not to mention it would be awesome if someone would actually police the lanes during their current minutes of operation. That would be a start.
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Permalink Reply by Richard Gawel on
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Ah policing. Now you're onto something.
Hands up anyone who has seen a motorist pull over into a bike lane to take a mobile call, or just plain old people who just park in them because there are only one or two cyclists in Adelaide and those two won't be needing this lane anytime soon. Or even police cars!
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Permalink Reply by Carla Scragg on -
I'm jiggy to your beat Wombat. I really think, if it's worth doing, just go the whole hog and go it. I can't understand why Anzac Highway isn't a 24hr lane - there's substantial side street and suburban area parking, lots of stratas with off street parks etc. I don't believe the inconvenience caused to residences justifies the risks to bike riders.
But if I posted that comment on Adelaide Now I'm sure I'd hear all about it. :)
Anyway, as far as policing goes, I feel that everyone needs to be vigiliant in writing to the council area in which the bike lane is located in order for this to improve. I work on Port Road, and lost my shit one morning after riding in through the back streets and seeing the bike lane, during operating time, packed with cars. I shooed a couple away with my helmet and bicycle like a crazy cat lady, but I then went to my desk and wrote a two page letter about their wilful negligence in failing to police the lanes. Slowly but surely, council presence was felt at approximately 5:30pm every day and now, for the most part and with the odd dense exception, the lanes are completely clear and safe to use. I'm sure it wasn't just me campaigning, but the fact that the lanes went from being packed full to proper clearways shows that if you advocate, things do improve.
I still have that letter saved if anyone wishes to use it to tweak for their situation. (It's not that good, but sometimes it's easier to complain when most of the work is done for ya! :)
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Permalink Reply by Wombat on
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I have had success, at least, in getting a hearing from Marion Council in the last day or two. There have been cars parked in the bike lane on West St, Ascot Park every day this week and I have had assurances from Patty at the Council yesterday that the issue would be tackled by parking inspectors.
Having said that, there were 3 cars parked there this morning at 8ish this morning when I rode through there taking pics of them all.... maybe I should post them on the "spot a hoon" website! hahaha
http://dsc.adelaidenow.news.com.au/m/an.aspx?id=371613cd8d&grou...
What do you think the reaction would be to that?
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Permalink Reply by Carla Scragg on
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Priceless, mastercard style! :)
And if you need some back up with the advocacy let me know - I live at Camden Park, close to the Marion Council area anyway, and am more than happy to scream bloody murder with you.
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Permalink Reply by Wombat on
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Thanks Carla... I have posted the pix on Flickr, but not on the Adelaide Now website... not too sure about their security and having to put my contact details on there when I post the pix.
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Permalink Reply by heather on -
Depends which council. For ten years there has been persistent illegal parking on Prospect Road, first when it was a clearway coupled with official cycle route, and since 2004 as a bicycle lane. I was also persistent in asking council to book the offenders. Finally council told me that they would not ticket illegal parking. So I phoned SAPOL for two years, until they also told me that they would not book the offenders.
In Sep 2009 a cyclist was injured here when the bicycle lane was blocked as usual by illegal parkers. I wrote to the council, SAPOL and the Minister for Transport. The Minister for Transport wrote to council and SAPOL, stating that they must ticket illegal parking. Now that council is ticketing, its fine revenue has increased 30% or $33,000, thanks to this area. But council is not doing enough, and I usually see 5 vehicles in 5 minutes. Wonder how many in 90 minutes of peak hour?
Council has been lobbying Transport since the bicycle lanes went in to remove them, and it now seems that the State Government is listening to council, not cyclists. For more on this and how to help cycling, see Prospect BUG page.
I have tried reporting to Traffic Watch illegal parking in bicycle lanes but SAPOL is not interested. For more on this, see post 'What is the scope of Traffic Watch?'
When the cyclist was injured, I encouraged the local paper to run the story. Still selfish drivers block the bicycle lane. There is off street parking at the rear of the shops. In 10 years, there have only been two days when I have not seen an illegal parker in the 5 minutes I am there.
What would you do next?
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Permalink Reply by Carla Scragg on
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That's a tough one. To some degree, I don't think there is much else. Persistent lobbying and flooding the offices of those that matter seems to be the only way forward.
Part of me accepts the inevitable, that this is just the way it is but that's an unacceptable attitude. We shouldn't have to tolerate inferior circumstances on the road.
I'm happy to add my voice, whether it's writing persistently or calling the council every morning when there are breaches. Unfortunately, I don't pass through the area very often, but if you pass on details of breaches that you see then I'll certainly chime in. Strength in numbers as they say :)
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Permalink Reply by Wombat on
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Had a little win yesterday at Norwood. :-) On my way down Osmond Tce towards the Parade, there were guys pruning trees. I stopped and asked them politely to move their signs and basically received the response "who the hell do you think you are telling us to do that and how would you know what the law says!"
So when I got to work I called Norwood Council and asked them to send someone down to talk to the chaps. Well... they must have spoken to them because this morning when I rode past the same blokes, I was greeted with a smile and the sign dude quickly making sure all his signs and cones were out of the bike lane. I did say "thankyou". ;-)
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Permalink Reply by Carla Scragg on
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yes! much more effective than when I dropped the C*Bomb on a worker that was standing there watching me dismount, walk and remount so I could use the path (he didn't have compliant signs etc., just dug a massive hole in the middle of the bike path). I'm glad that people like you can counter the immature knee jerk reactions of people like me (I'm still ashamed of my foul mouth!!)
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