Long term plans for Grenfell St exclude cyclists
The AC discussion has been closed at http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/forum/topics/grenfell-street-bus-la...
There are long term plans for Grenfell Street that do not include cyclists. Expect the footpaths to be widened, the travel lanes removed, and the only other space for 'bus only' lanes. Will explain in a moment.
After you have read this, please make a submission to ACC on Moving Adelaide: the City of Adelaide Integrated Movement Strategy 2012-22 by 5pm Friday 8 June 2012.
Explain how you want the long term plans for Grenfell Street to include a bicycle lane down what is now the median strip. You will find the ACC link on an Adelaide BUG post, which also explains that a cyclist-pedestrian actuated crossing is needed for Fitzroy Terrace. ACC wants the inner ring route “strengthened” to encourage private cars to detour around the City, rather than through it. So add to your submission a request for bicycle crossing lights here, between bikedirect Braund Road and the shared path in the parklands.
More info and the link to ACC IMS is posted on Adelaide BUG at
http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/group/adelaidebug/forum/topics/acc-...
Anyway, back to the topic of Grenfell Street. Will not name the people sources. Last year I saw a concept plan with the footpaths widened and 'bus only' lanes. I explained to ACC that cyclists need a lane, like when I enter the city from the north via Montefiore Road and Currie Street. The latter could end up for buses only continuing onto Grenfell Street. Told that I could cycle Pirie Street which I vetoed, due to the cycling areas within the dooring zone and the street too narrow to dodge into the travel lane to escape.
Last week I visited ACC and introduced myself as the coordinator of Adelaide BUG. Asked to view the Grenfell Street plans to be installed in Jul-2012. Two large sheets (bigger than A4 and A2) so not easy to copy but staff volunteered that I could not have a copy because still a draft. Some details to be finalised with stakeholders and DPTI. Spoke to another person while at ACC.
The majority of public buses pass through the intersection of Grenfell Street and King William Street, either east-west or north-south. Have asked Adelaide Metro to provide some figures. Bus drivers generally do not like mixing it with cyclists (not news to me) and a wish to keep cyclists out of Grenfell Street that will become a major bus route. Earlier concept plans showed Grenfell Street as a pedestrian area with outdoor cafes. Will admit that not much room during peak hour on the current footpaths for pedestrians to wait for buses. The installation in Jul-2012 will be shared bus lanes that cyclists can use, but we are not wanted there.
Told again that cyclists could use Pirie Street (which I vetoed again) or North Terrace. I often avoid cycling O'Connell Street (next to parked cars) and King William Road (near the Torrens Parade Ground and many buses moving into and out of bus stops). Instead cycle Jeffcott Road, Montefiore Street and Currie Street. I avoid Hindley Street with broken glass and distracted drivers, and anyway comes to an end at Rundle Mall before I reach the bicycle parking in Gawler Place. If I cycle south and cross over Morphett Street Bridge, then disjointed method to get from eastern side to western side, before cycling south towards North Terrace. I do not like cycling North Terrace near the casino, taxi stand and rail passengers. Previously told that not enough room to install bicycle lane here now that a tramline on North Terrace. So I want future plans to include bicycle lanes in Grenfell Street where now a median strip, when Grenfell Street becomes pedestrians and buses only.
Another veto for Pirie Street. Gawler Place would need contra-flow lanes to get cyclists to and from the bicycle parking and Rundle Mall. Needed anyway so another thing for cyclists to recommend in their Integrated Movement Strategy submissions to ACC.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Doddsy on -
No doors open in bus lanes.
On a more serious note, Heather, Who should we be sending emails to? Have you got any contacts there or should we just hope it gets past general enquiries.
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Permalink Reply by heather on -
In the opening discussion wrote More info and the link to ACC IMS is posted on Adelaide BUG at with link underneath. The Adelaide BUG post has links to ACC and its Integrated Movement Strategy where contact details. The ACC IMS submissions close on 8-Jun-2012.
I do not live in the city so add info to indicate the many purposes for my cycling trips to the CBD.
If you want to send your comments to more people, easy to find at ACC email addresses of elected council and Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood. I will also forward my submission to the the new ACC Pedestrian & Cycling Coordinator. The general email address is city@adelaidecitycouncil.com and you can use with "Attention: ___" Let me know if you want me to provide these email addresses.
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Permalink Reply by john mills on
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I wonder if the ACC has thought about a system one way streets through the city, or maybe the northern half of the city where it is the busiest. I drove aimlessly around inner Brisbane last Xmas, on Christmas Eve actually, about half an hour before closing time, and discovered their network of one way streets. And If I remember correctly I think Hobart has this too.
With one way streets, wouldn't that open up more room for a wide bicycle lane?
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Permalink Reply by Doddsy on
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Multi laned One way streets are a sign of bad and old fashioned urban planning. Planners started to make wide roads one way when they had congestion issues. Instead of realising that too many people were driving otherwise empty 5 seaters they manipulated traffic in an attempt to move and fit more cars on our roads. It perpetuated the problem.
That being said, if they want to make streets one way for automobiles, thats fine. Just so long as cyclists can travel in both directions.
Multi laned one way streets aren't so bad in brisbane because cyclists are allowed to ride on the footpath in the other direction.
Would be better if we didn't have to ride so slowly though.
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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John & Doddsy, I was about to say that Brisbane has one-way streets but still not cycling-friendly. Very few bicycle lanes with vehicles getting triple travel lanes. The kerbside travel lanes are too narrow for vehicle plus cyclist. Riding on footpaths is slow, even though pedestrians know how to share the paths (unlike Adelaide pedestrians). I was startled on a narrow street in the CBD when a pedestrian suddenly came out of a shop door.
What little cycling infrastructure there is in Brisbane is great. Some separated on-road bicycle lanes. The Bicentennial Bikeway is fantastic, with a pedestrian path and double bicycle path. Two cyclist-pedestrian bridges across the Brisbane Rive.
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Permalink Reply by Brendan Clover on -
I use Grenfell Street all the time and would be one of those that would continue to do so should they make it bus only, I ride up Henley Beach Rd and work on the northern side of Grenfell St, why would I want to ride up Pirie/Weymouth St? As for Pirie/Weymouth St as an alternative, it doesn't move at peak hour now and there is very little room for cyclists with pedestrians just walking out onto the road at any point, how does the ACC think this will improve by limiting traffic on Currie/Grenfell Streets.
Incidentally there were a lot of people out on Currie Street yesterday morning with clip boards and high vis vests, they seemed to be taking a lot of notice of cyclists. Hopefully it was some survey to determine how many cyclists use this route.
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Permalink Reply by greg looyestyn on
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How about we get our own bus? Tolkamp Metaalspecials
It will need some bike racks put on it though!
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Permalink Reply by Brendan Clover on
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Just reading the The City of Adelaide Integrated Movement Strategy 2012-22 document from ACC, table 2 on page 33 entry 2.1.1 states Adopt an “every street is a bicycle street” approach, doesn't deploying bus only thoroughfares contradict this?
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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Brendan, thanks for the quote. When you write to the ACC, use this as ammunition to say that when long-term Grenfell Street plans enacted, must have two-way bicycle lane where the current median strip.
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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I have received the info I requested from Adelaide Metro re the number of buses using the Grenfell - Currie Streets corridor. Will attach the detail in a file. Can be abbreviated to:
-- 1,604 buses between 7am and 6pm
-- 198 buses per hour between 7am and 9am
-- 66 buses per hour between 9am and 3pm
-- 170 buses per hour between 3pm and 6pm.Bus drivers do not want cyclists in the pending 'shared bus lane' or the long term planned 'bus only' lanes. A lot of buses for cyclists to dodge and vice versa. So best for cyclists to accept this and instead lobby for a separated two-way bicycle lane in the centre of the road.
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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Champion on -
I disagree Heather it should not just be about what Bus drivers want. If they know which lane the cyclists are using and in that speed environment where both modes are probably travelling at the same speed they both should be able to coexist. I'm not sure how many cyclists cycle the entire length of Grenfell/Currie and carry on but if they are all riding to the right of the bus driver a reasonable guess is that 50% travelling in the same direction will have to cross from the right to the left of the driver at some stage at random points along the road not just at intersections. I would imagine that Bus Drivers would find this much more difficult to deal with than if the cyclists were already sharing the same lane. Also at intersections the cyclist may well be stuck in the middle of the road wanting to make a left turn not sure that the traffic signal phasing will be set up to accommodate that.
The Bus only lanes are ACC's ultimate aim but I assume they will have to account and plan for where all the bike and standard vehicle traffic including delivery's, garbage etc will go if they are not in Grenfell St and will have to make significant adjustments to Pirie and others. So it would be reasonable to assume it will not happen soon and during this time the Grenfell St operation of Bus Lanes as opposed to Bus Only Lanes may well turn out to be a reasonable compromise. Fingers crossed.
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