Drivers' letters objecting to bicycle lanes
I seek feedback on 2 letters from drivers who dislike bicycle lanes. Do cyclists use these bicycle lanes?
One myopic driver thinks parking in a bicycle lane should equate to a parking offence and fine, rather than a cyclist safety issue.
You might consider another AC post at http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/forum/topics/increase-in-cyclist-cr...
http://www.indaily.com.au/?iid=64281&sr=0#folio=9. Letter published in Indaily of 18-Jun-2012 on page 9. Bike lanes boost coffers. Martin Bailey
Peter Davies (Letters, June 14) and Suzanne Adams (Letters, June 6) have a right to be perturbed. One can only conclude from the body of evidence that local authorities are using bike lane legislation to boost their coffers. Fines for parking in bike lanes are generally greater than those applicable to no-parking zones.
Often, bike lanes have no provable relevance, and in many cases do not serve the interests of the cycling community. A good example of this is Transport Avenue, running off Richmond Road. This road is behind the Department of Transport and Infrastructure complex at Netley. Richmond Road does not have a bike lane, yet Transport Avenue has a bike lane at all times. This avenue is a busy access to the Netley complex, with parking extremely limited. Recently, I carried out a survey over two consecutive week days between 8am and 5pm. No bikes! But council contractors, twice a day over the two days, were busy writing infringement notices for the hapless vehicle owners.
http://www.indaily.com.au/?iid=64188#folio=11. Letter published in Indaily of 14-Jun-2012 on page 11. Suburban parking nightmare. Peter Davies
I sympathise with Suzanne Adams (Letters, June 6) about parking in suburban streets. Recently, the state government and local government have installed bike lanes all over the city, which have achieved little apart from irritating local residents.
Running a small business – as we do, just off Tapleys Hill Road in Hendon – we now find our street is crammed with vehicles all day. These are vehicles that used to be parked on the main road, but we now have a you-beaut bicycle lane on both sides of Tapleys Hill Road.
This traffic congestion causes us a lot of inconvenience, as our delivery trucks can’t find room to get into our street, let alone park so they can unload our goods.
Funny thing is, the council regularly patrols the bicycle lane on Tapleys Hill Road, and books anybody who happens to park their car on the road, yet there are virtually no cyclists who use the bike lane. And nobody in their right mind would cycle on Tapleys Hill Road during the day.
Even funnier – the occasional cyclist we do see on Tapleys Hill Road is cycling on the footpath, because they are not stupid. Says a lot about council and government stupidity!
Letter of 6-Jun-2012 is not about parking in bicycle lanes, rather about much car parking in a residential street.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michael G on -
I was amused a few weeks ago reading a letter to the editor of the Advertiser where someone was saying that all of Adelaide's traffic problems were related to the creation of bike lanes. As far as I can see a bike lane is about a third of a normal lane and without the bike lane all you get is a 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 width lane next to the gutter. So when cars park there you no longer have a full width lane anyway. Unley road is a classic example of the chaos this causes as drivers drift in and out around parked cars without indicating or checking to see if someone is next to them.
I'm sure for all the people who are inconvenienced not being able to park where there are bike lanes there are many many more who appreciate the more free flowing traffic without the interuption of parked cars.
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Permalink Reply by MarkK on -
Is it a case of "built it and they will come"? (eventually).
if they put in a new bike lane wouldnt it take months if not years before cyclists stop using the side streets and rejoin the main roads. Its not like the highways dept make a big song and dance about improvements (cough) to bike infrastructure.
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Permalink Reply by Don (Who's lost?) Nairn on -
Certainly if it doesn't exist it can't be used.
However as a low speed cyclist and serial rose sniffer the side streets may still have appeal.
A silly thought if riding slowly makes you a rose sniffer what do you sniff while you are drafting and riding fast?
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Permalink Reply by Clive Palfrey on -
Depends what you are drafting, methane or carbon monoxide.
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Permalink Reply by heather on -
Transport Avenue has a bike lane at all times. This avenue is a busy access to the Netley complex, with parking extremely limited.
I re-read the first letter. "busy access" might explain why there is a bike lane there for cyclist safety. Although obvious that the motorist is more concerned about car parking.
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Permalink Reply by Not an electronic mouse on -
I thought it would be illegal to ride on the white line of an active bike lane? Hard to complain about someone parking in a bike lane if we cyclist don't use them properly anyway.
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Permalink Reply by rossmg on -
I am most happy to use bike lanes but I refuse to ride in the door-zone. We are allowed to cycle outside if we see an obstruction. I'm fine with interpreting that as "potential death or serious injury".
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