The "induced traffic effect" and the new Currie/Grenfell/East Tce bus lanes
I have just read this item on the Sydney Cyclists Forum page.
What made me sit up and pay attention to this is that only earlier this evening I read someone whinging on the AdelaideNow website about how the new bus lanes will be allegedly causing gridlock, the end of Western civilisation, &c.
This study and the accompanying StreetsWiki article seems to suggest that the contrary is true:
A study of highway removals in 11 different countries found that 14-25% of the traffic disappeared completely, and that few if any of the removals resulted in the “traffic chaos” warned of by opponents.
This might be worth bearing in mind the next time you hear someone complaining about these bus lanes (which are also bike lanes), or about bike lanes generally.
Cheers!
Tags: adelaide, bicycle_lanes, bicycles, bike_lanes, bus_lanes, currie_street, east_terrace, grenfell_street, traffic, traffic_management
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Don (Who's lost?) Nairn on -
From a political point of view People like to drive and people don't like change.
There were naysayers saying digital TV would be the death of TV because the TV's would be over $20,000.
They were wrong
The motor industry would never participate in rent seeking behaviour :-)
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Permalink Reply by Mike W on -
This is one of the main roads heading into Dublin. It has one car lane each way and a one way bus lane for busses, taxi's and emergency vehicles. Originally this road was similiar to Unley Rd, ie one and a half useless lanes each way. Now there is no parking permitted on either side and they have free flowing traffic that never existed before.
The people who complain about this (world's best practice) are of the same mentality as the ones which said that the city would die when they stopped cars driving through Rundle St (now Rundle Mall).
Wake up Adelaide !
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Permalink Reply by Mike W on
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This is the same road about five kilometres later and closer to the city.
No parking permitted on either side and the parking inserts are loading zones only. Once again free flowing traffic and roads not being used as car parks.
(click to enlarge)
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Permalink Reply by heather on -
Some years ago Transport in SA had a long term policy of businesses providing off-street car parking for their customers, rather than arterial roads being used as car parks. When parking and driving permitted in a kerbside lane, this lane must be engineered for trucks at higher speeds, even though mainly used by cars at parking speeds. A waste of resources, money and taxes. However, the SA government now supports car parking on arterial roads.
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Permalink Reply by Mike W on
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Just going off topic slightly again.
Just last week I had some bogan passenger in a bongo van lean out the window and produce all the usual intelligent "lycra poofter" etc comments when I was passing about six cars that were parked along the area highlighted. (I did scare the bejaysus out of him when I yelled in his ear as I passed him approaching the lights)
This is a common occurrence along that area just outside the chemist but there is ample parking behind all the shops along here, and similiarly all along Brighton Rd for that matter.
Drivers complain about cyclists, busses and inadequate roads etc but then they park in the left hand lane !
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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Mike, have a problem at 144 Prospect Road where Coles provides an off-street car park, but motorists prefer to park in the peak hour bicycle lane while operational. So do not expect drivers to use common sense and use the off-street parking, when no on-road bicycle lane or risk of fine ($225 + $60). It is safer to park off-street away from moving vehicles, while you exit the car or load the shopping. But do not expect logic to work either.
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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Radar, read the discussion I started on 28-May-2012 with title 'long term plans for Grenfell St exclude cyclists' at http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/forum/topics/long-term-plans-for-gr...
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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On the discussion I named, on 2-Jun-2012 I added a file regarding the number of bus movements along this corridor. The busiest in Adelaide, which helps to understand the changes. I approached ACC for more info. Although there were earlier public meetings where a Thinker in Resident promoted this idea to decrease congestion of private cars by encouraging public transport.
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Permalink Reply by Edward @bikeadelaide on -
"Motor vehicle traffic flow" is overrated. It's impossible to achieve. All you do is move the congestion to another bottle neck and make things unpleasant and potentially dangerous for other road users. Make alternatives (like PT and cycling) more attractive and the traffic will sort itself out.
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Permalink Reply by Doddsy on -
less cars always results in less congestion.
having one less lane for cars on a major public transport route is a no brainer. you dont need to be consulted this has already been done elsewhere and it works.
the proposed bus lane needs to be 24/7 though. its counter productive to increase private motor vehicle ammenities outside of peak time.
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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Champion on -
Radar the buses can use any lane (as can the cyclists) the rest of the traffic excluding taxis are restricted to one lane between 7.00am and 7.00pm. The kerb side lane is not regarded a through lane as it is dotted with bus stops some existing parking opportunities and designated left turn lanes. Cyclists will need to be vigilant but I can't see how it will be much different for them than the existing situation other than no cars in the Bus lane.
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Permalink Reply by rossmg on -
Hmm, I quite regularly cycle Grenfell/Currie as part of my work commute, it will be interesting to see how it works as in peak hour traffic it is a rather slow ride filtering the traffic - the occasional agro bus driver isn't much fun either, I wonder how aware they are that cyclists can use the bus lane?
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