Stuff Helmet Discussions - This is what needs to be fixed
Most of us would be aware of the new "Super Schools" being built in SA.
Yesterday on a ride out north I rode past the new one just off GJ Road. I have driven past it many times on the way to family and never noticed this.
It has one access road, Briens Road. There is a footpath and two lanes each way. What is completely non-existent is a Cycle lane. How on earth are we supposed to encourage young people to ride to school when we can even provide infrastructure to ride on. In fact I cant even see somewhere to park a bike at all.
The Footpath is not signposted as a shared path, therefore can't be ridden on if you're over 12.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by MARK FERGUSON (SPARTACUS) on -
Especially when they are starting from scratch why can't they include bike paths?
-
Permalink Reply by Richard on -
My lad rode his bike to school in his first comple of years at high school, even started one of his mates riding to school (I built the bike for him). They stopped in the second year though because of the heavy book load they had to carry, so heavy that my son's back pack tore apart under the effort. Sadly, I think the only kids cycling to school will be those that love riding (I even rode out to uni ... but I was considered nuts ... probably still am).
You're right about a lack of infrastructure though and a secure place to leave your bike (my son had a fenced off area by the staff room that was only open at set times and locked the rest) being an issude.
Cycling is seen as too difficult and the mania for imitation racing bikes doesn't help, mind you, it's hard to convince a hot blooded teenage boy to accept anything less than a Ferrari (maybe slum it with a Porsche).
Parent's attitudes are another issue too. I'm one of those annoying gits that steps into every conversation about traffic at work with the suggestion that they ride their bike ... and there aren't many people at work who haven't had me ask why they don't ride to work. In every case, people don't want to ride because it's seen as too dangerous. Translate that to a parent's concern for their kids and you won't find too many parents encouraging kids to ride, particularly if the lack of infrastructure actually does make it too dangerous to ride.
Oh, and I agree with you about the damned stupid helmet debates.
-
Permalink Reply by Tim B (the running man) on -
We discussed this very issue last year in my uni course, we were all a bit perplexed at the supposed benefits of super schools and made particular note of the lack of cycling infrastructure.
Went out today specifically observing cycling infrastructure for another assignment and the lack of, inconsistencey, poor quality and pooly maintained infrastructure is quite depressing.
Oh yeah, if I didn't have my helmet i couldn't have mounted the helmet cam.....:-P
-
Permalink Reply by Don (Who's lost?) Nairn on -
I think you have assumed incorrectly that schools are for the benefit of the students and the community they live in.
I will suggest that "super schools" rte more about justifying the positions and promotions of elite bureaucrats.
How can the head of the education department justify a pay rise for themselves unless they are changing something?
If you are not constantly changing things eventually there may be some performance based assessment that actually measures the schools and the teachers.
things like staff literacy and infatructure such as serviceable toilets or even cycling facility's.
-
Permalink Reply by Lee-Anne on -
I drive past this school 4-5 toimes a weekl going to track training or to work in the Nthrn suburbs. What is did notice over the past 6mths is that there was a re-paving/kerbing of the footpath where all the treed are, surely in the repave/kerbing they could have moved it all over 1.5mtrs to accomadate a bike lane/ off road bike path.
As for bike parking at the school, I'll ask with a cycling contact who is actually the sport cycling teacher at the school. They have a team in the CSA sportif rides, as well as a few sessions at the drome i believe. So maybe their bike parking is better accomdated in an undercover area that might look like one of the buildings in the map you showed.
-
Permalink Reply by Matt Jones on -
I did notice the footpath, but there was no signposts at all indicating a shared use path.
-
Permalink Reply by heather on -
Super schools surely encourage more vehicles to converge on a few streets. The usual parents who would always drive their children to school, even if less than 1km away. But also the students who previously used public transport, but now no easy route to school. The extra distance and more arterial roads to navigate could discourage the few who want to cycle to school. So I am unsure that super schools are the way to go.
Lee-Anne, agree with you about oversight of not adding an off-road bike path in the process of footpath changes. Unfortunately typical to give little thought to cycling facilities.
Does the government expect to financially benefit, despite the expense of building new super schools? For example, by selling the old school sites for housing closer to the city on more valuable land. I was a regular attendee at the old Nailsworth Tech for leisure courses like woodwork and upholstery. Part of it became a housing estate, then all of it.
P.S. Matt, I now avoid any post with 'helmet' in it, unless an obvious title like your discussion.
-
Permalink Reply by Darren on -
What isn't obvious from that pic is how the lane pinches just at the entrance forcing cylists into the path of cars. Where it pinches is barely wide enough for car let alone a truck! The bright spark who designed it should be shot!
-
Permalink Reply by heather on
-
Darren, you could email a letter to Hon Patrick Conlon, Minister for Transport at minister.conlon@sa.gov.au.
He would then forward to Grace Portolesi, Minister for Education and Child Development.
-
Permalink Reply by Rob W on -
I frequent this part of Briens road riding to work. At the lights the road is wider than just before the turn lane to the school. A real pinch point for cyclists. It is beyond belief that they didn't extend the road, or make the footpath wider, and shared. I have been told that along both those roads, many hands have been tied when it comes to good solutions. If widening the road wasn't an option, why not a second entrance to the bike path that runs through this area from GJ road to South Terrace.
-
Permalink Reply by heather on
-
Rob, you could email a letter to Hon Patrick Conlon, Minister for Transport at minister.conlon@sa.gov.au.
-
Permalink Reply by Matt Wilson on -
Hi all,
One of the other new super schools is located in a project where I work. Because the super schools were federally funded, they were able to bypass all local planning controls (ie Councils as well as State Government planning). They were all rubber stamped by someon in Canberra, which has resulted in quick, but very poor outcomes. Some campuses have not considered carparking in their design, nor bus bays, nor pedestrian / bike movements. They focussed entirely within their own property and had no regard to how the schools would 'fit in' with any adjacent infrastructure / communities.
It was a very frustrating (lack of a) process!!!
The media stories have been and gone and now we are left with messes to clean up...
© 2013 Created by Gus K.
