Do bike paths help safety?
Initially bike paths seem like a great idea lots of money has bee spent on providing many excellent facilities.
However they dont seem useful to certain cyclist.
I have seen cyclists in Port road by the Coke factory when there is separate bike path that runs along side.
The Amy Gillett bike path has be criticised by cyclists that prefer to use the road that runs parallel.
Anzac Highway is popular despite several alternative routes with less traffic.
While bike paths are often well used it seems they are not universally accepted.
I think someone even expressed the sentiment that "real cyclists would never ride on a bike path"
So are bike paths a waste of money and resources at least for certain cyclists?
Should groups who what to encourage cycling not be advocating for bike paths?
If not what should they do?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Clive Palfrey on -
Hopefully Pat or another local can clarify this but I think the cycle only section of the Veloway is relatively short (less than 10km), in addition this section is from Darlington and up the hill and is steep and windy, slow/novice assenders tend to weave, many cyclists ride abreast and/or in groups which is dangerous when so many decenders attempt to blitz. Whilst you don't see many pedestrians on this section there are a few. Conversely where the path becomes shared use there are quite a few sections where you have a clear view and it's safe to ride fast. It's a bit like saying that it's safe to drive at high speed on freeways (as so many motorists do) and it would be true were it not for so many slower vehicles such as trucks, caravans etc. You can ride fast on the SOB as you have a clear line of vision most of the time and relatively few cyclists, unfortunately there are several junctions where you have to slow and give way to traffic so you can't sustain 40km+ speeds for more than 4 or 5km.
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Permalink Reply by heather on -
Clive, I do not know the length of the Veloway but all of it is bicycles only and signed as such, although I have come across a pedestrian and a motorbike on it. If only 10km, consider that in Australian capital cities, half of people's trips by car are 5km or less.
That hill is steep, so I regularly caught the train down south with bike, then cycled home. Using Coast to Vines shared path, the Veloway cycle path, River Sturt Linear Park shared path, Westside Bikeway shared path and some on-road cycle lanes. Involved going up 7 smaller hills so I was slow, but no probs with the faster cyclists who overtook me. Enjoyed going down the steep hill but need to watch out for rubbish deliberately placed hazardously on the bicycle path. I want to blame illegal walkers at night for that, but do not know for sure.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Palfrey on
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The Adelaide Southern Veloway is a sealed bikeway for the exclusive use of cyclists that runs continuously alongside the Southern Expressway for a distance of 7 km — from Marion/Main South Road to the Panalatinga Tunnel. South of the Panalatinga Tunnel, the bikeway becomes a shared track for the remaining 12 km of the Southern Expressway. It provides important links to other cycling facilities in the area,
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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Clive, I head towards the Coast to Vines Trail at Panalatinga so have not personally viewed the signs further south. This month I saw on Transport web that The Veloway is cyclists only, but cannot recall the link. My street directory (for what it is worth), shows a cyclist only path parallel to the Southern Expressway. At Huntfield Heights the expressway joins Main South Road and The Veloway forms a T-junction with Coast to Vines Trail. I cannot debate this without conclusive proof from DPTI.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Palfrey on
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My reference is from Wikiepedia
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Permalink Reply by Ken the Dane on -
bike paths in Australia are in general a complete joke. Starts and stops at random. Poorly maintained. Does not get respected by motorist. In essence a symbolic but often wasteful use of paint.
The solution is called 'raised segregated bike tracks', as seen in Denmark, Holland etc, which are placed between pavement and parked cars (reduces risk of dooring and protects from moving cars), gets respected (you cannot miss mounting them in a car and might damage your car tyre/rim). The tracks are rarely bi-directional since cyclists deserve as much respect (and infrastructure) as motorist and force cyclists to cross roads unnecessary.
The Australian approach is immature and at best a wasteful way of spending resources that might increase the number of cyclists (hopefully) but brings a false sense of safety
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Permalink Reply by Lucas Pittaway on -
Is it illegal to ride on the road if there is an adjacent bike path off of the road?
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Permalink Reply by Vincent Coleman on -
I don't believe so, although cops will try ticketing you if they're having a bad day / not meeting quota. You then have to go to court and dispute it.
Cyclists are allowed to ride 2 abreast on any road, so long as they're not causing a hazard, ie going at 10km, etc.
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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Lucas, no. However, on Beach Road in Melbourne, drivers get stroppy when cyclists not on shared path. On a Sunday this road gets 600+ high-speed cyclists who wisely use the road.
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Permalink Reply by Doddsy on -
Most drivers understand. but you always remember that one idiot who gives you a hard time.
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Permalink Reply by Doddsy on
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Cycleways aren't designed for cyclists. They are designed to get people to ride bicycles. Streets get safer when people start leaving their cars at home.
People that don't ride bikes usually drive more often, that's the problem.
If your in the mood for going fast then they are usually not for you. People that use ADEQUATE cycling infrastructure usually don't consider themselves "cyclists".
It would be like considering yourself a knife and forkist.
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Permalink Reply by Jilden on -
People that use ADEQUATE cycling infrastructure usually don't consider themselves "cyclists".
So a person that enjoys riding at least twice a week on bike tracks and back roads on an old MTB isn't a cyclist??? This sounds like a "no true Scotsman" style of argument. A cyclist is one who regularly rides a bike, any type of bike, not just a cafe racer.
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