Grenfell Street bus lane - but what about the bikes? Epilogue
So the government is apparently going to make the left hand lane in Grenfell/Currie a dedicated bus lane. From the story in the Advertiser and the animated "fly-over" it looks like there is no space allocated at all for cyclists. So I assume that means they are also going to turn Gawler Place south of Grenfell Street into a "cycles permitted 2-ways" street and maybe make Flinders Street or Pirie into a dedicated bike boulevard? Hey...did I just see some pigs flying past my office window??
Ok lots of people seem to completely missed the original point of my post and the discussion has descended in typical fashion to a bit of name calling and point scoring. Time to close it I think. My point was not to complain about the bus lane - I think it's a good idea and a potential solution to the problems of sharing for different modes of transport i.e. to privilege some forms of transport on some roads to discourage their use by other forms of transport. In that light my question was to ask "if they are going to privilege public transport on this road is there any chance they might privilege cycle transport somewhere else?" I am not convinced that sharing all spaces is the best solution for every situation and as I have commented I would prefer not to share the bus lane with buses and they probably don't want to share with us much either...
Replies are closed for this discussion.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Doddsy on -
I don't get the comments about people saying they wouldn't want to ride in a bus lane.
Its just like every other traffic lane thats on a bus route. Only less cars.
Even if it was a bus only lane there'd still be a lane next to it. It would be silly to implement such infrastructure but that would make grenfell street like pirie street, only without the car doors.
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Permalink Reply by heather on -
I know Grenfell Street well and not bumper to bumper buses outside of peak hour. So a SHARED bus lane here would suit me.
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Permalink Reply by Dario Gautama on -
For some people like me, riding on Bus lane could be a scary thing.
I feel intimidated by the size of the bus.
That's true bus lane have less car, but it makes bus move faster and it will be a bit awkward when a bus move slowly behind you. -
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Permalink Reply by Doddsy on
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Yes some people are just plain scared of riding bikes in traffic. Shared Bus lanes make things better though. I'm telling you that from experience.
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Permalink Reply by Tiny Avenger on -
I ride down Grenfell st at peak hour many afternoons when it is full of buses in the left lane. As I turn right before pulteney I always ride (scandal) in the right lane. All the traffic is very slow at that time and I would much rather be where I have a slight chance of being seen by drivers rather than essentially invisible, choking on bus exhaust fumes and stuck been buses that are not moving but stopping to pick up passengers. So of course I would like them to fix up the "cycle" link to Pirie or Flinders rather than assume that the bus lane on Grenfell should/must be shared by cyclists.
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Permalink Reply by Doddsy on
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Its unrealistic to attempt to get cyclists to avoid inner city streets.
Every city street, must be as people friendly as possible. Human traffic is a very important revenue raiser for cafes and retail stores, not to mention all the employment opportunities on grenfell street.
Cyclists will always shop, eat and work on Grenfell street, the same goes for every other city street.
A shared bus lane should have a bike symbol on it it should be operational 24/7 and it should go from west to east terrace.
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Permalink Reply by Stig of The Dump on -
I know its been talked about before but this come up looking a bit of a kneejerk reaction.. quick do somethiiing...
The real issue is getting out of hackney rd and into grenfell, the funding seems to have dried up for it, or it was just all too hard
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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Champion on -
I think the official story was that federal funds allocated for the project were withdrawn and used to help after the floods in Queensland. The project to extend access into the city was then put on hold (indefinitely). There were other factors but then there always is.
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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Could not find a media release from the Premier or ACC. The media stories mentioned buses and taxis but not cyclists. Perhaps cyclists are permitted but just forgotten about, which is not unusual but not good enough. Found following story which said similar lane in short section of East Terrace.
Cars to make way for city buses, 891 ABC Adelaide,23-May-2012, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-23/govt-introduces-city-bus-lane...
Dedicated bus lanes will be introduced in Adelaide's streets as the State Government attempts to crackdown on late running services.
Cars will be reduced to a single lane in Currie and Grenfell Streets between 7am to 7pm (ACST) from Monday to Friday.
The same conditions will apply to East Terrace between North Terrace and Grenfell Street.
Turning options will also be restricted under the trial changes, which will be introduced from the beginning of July.
While the State Government says the measure will cut three minutes off bus trips, the RAA says it may lead to increased traffic congestion.
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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Have the info on this. Will update after some food. Got wet cycling today and want to warm up before I collect my thoughts.
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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Here is info from the govt web. Note the word 'cyclists' but the news is not all good, which I will explain later.
Bus priority lane project
Installation of priority bus lanes on Grenfell Street, Currie Street & East Terrace
Posted by State Government under Infrastructure: Transport, Planning, Infrastructure
http://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/public_transport_projects/bus_p...From early Jul-2012 dedicated bus lanes will be installed along the length of Currie and Grenfell Streets and along a portion of East Terrace between Grenfell Street and North Terrace, in the city.
These dedicated bus lanes are designed to improve the reliability of Adelaide’s bus network and provide priority to buses between 7.00am to 7.00pm, Monday to Friday, in both directions. One lane will be retained in each direction along these streets for general traffic.
Once the dedicated bus lanes are operational, taxis, cyclists and emergency vehicles will also be able to use the dedicated lanes.
As part of this project, some median openings will be closed and some right turn and U-turn movements modified, please refer to map for further details.
Drivers will still be able to access off street car park areas. However, some small changes to access routes may be necessary.
To enhance the operation of the new bus lanes, Adelaide City Council will investigate adjustments to on-street parking, particularly to standardise the operating times of parking restrictions.
Further information regarding changes to parking controls and restrictions will be available on the Adelaide City Council website at www.adelaidecitycouncil.com
While the bus lane is in operation, drivers must not:
-- park or stop a vehicle other than a bus in a bus lane
-- drive in a bus lane, except when:
> entering or leaving a road (e.g. another road, private property, parking area)
> overtaking a vehicle turning right or making a U-turn from the centre of a road
> avoiding an obstruction.
In each case the maximum distance you may drive in the bus lane is 100 metres. Penalty for driving in a bus lane is $225. -
© 2013 Created by Gus K.
