Look what they've done to my bike lane! (abbrev 1)
Prospect Council and the State Government are in the process of 'upgrading' arterial and freight route Churchill Road. Is this the next freight route where a cyclist will die? Please help me to stop this 'upgrade' now.
Photos include:
– Trucks in convoy on the 'before' / eastern side.
– The 'after' / western side. Indented parking bays are visible in the recently extended footpath. Near the new kerb is the white line that remains of the bicycle lane. With the road being narrowed, would you cycle here?
See 'look what they've done to my bike lane' at Prospect BUG for more photos and info.
http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/group/bugprospect/forum/topics/look-what-theyve-done-to-my
Prospect Council has similar ideas for arterial Prospect Road.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by David Bowler on -
The narrow bike lane is bad enough, but the parking bay on the other side provides not buffer from being car doored and that is assuming the cars actually park properly in the bay and don't project into what is left of the bike lane. A very poor design and bad decision making by the council to approve it. I hope they have budgeted for being sued when a cyclist gets taken out (I say if not when as this is an accident waiting to happen).
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Permalink Reply by heather on -
David, my post has a link for more photos and info. Strongly recommend that you read the full text. Prospect Council wanted the design, but the arterial road is under the control of the State Government. DTEI and the Department of Planning have approved the design. Who pays the compensation when a cyclist is killed? All of us via council rates (local councils contribute to an LGA fund), plus state fees and federal taxes.
Refer the grieving family to this website and me. I have been lobbying Prospect Council, DTEI, the Minister for Transport and other MPs since Sep-2009 not to go ahead with this shocking design. The authorities have ignored me. -
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Permalink Reply by Carl on -
This is an interesting post for me as I drive a garbage truck and I am contracted to Prospect, so I pick up on Churchill road and Prospect road pretty much every day and I can tell you I have my heart in my mouth most mornings and I am in a huge truck! There is no way in hell I would ride my bike on these roads early morning, especially between 7:30 and 8:30am you just cannot imagine what some drivers do!
By the way I loop out so if I see you coming ( I watch out for cyclists) I will skip ahead and come back later, I don't want you going around me as I know how how little room drivers will give me and I out weigh them by at least 10x so they won't give you an inch!
If you see me out there give me a wave! ( I do the green waste)
Stay safe
Carl
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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Carl, interesting comment, and thanks for trying to keep cyclists safe. Some people dislike cyclists but are yet to realise that hitting a cyclist would result in tedious legalities, financial repercussions, even loss of licence.
If you read the full post on Prospect BUG on AC web at http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/group/bugprospect/forum/topics/look...
there is quote from council document dated 2 years ago. That motorists afraid to park on Churchill Road due to heavy vehicles and speeding commuters. So council persuaded SA Government to agree to narrow this commuter and freight route, and force vulnerable cyclists closer to the trucks. The design does not comply with Austroads in that trucks unable to leave one-metre clearance when overtaking cyclists. In Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, now designing separated bicycle lanes. $1m of pavers laid 10 years ago were ripped up to relay new pavers while narrowing the road. Council will not change these new pavers, so only hope is to lobby for installation of very visible separator between bicycle and travel lanes where no car parking.Many times council has erroneously stated that 'upgraded' road safer for cyclists. Despite me informing Prospect Council, DTEI and Government Ministers otherwise before plans finalised.
In Sep-2011 I gave story to Indaily. Please read link below where council again reckons that Churchill Road is safe for cyclists. This week I forwarded info below to the City North Messenger.
Prospect Road Traders continue to publicly state that they do not want cyclists on Prospect Road. (Reported several times by Messenger over last 10 years.) Although Messenger has reported that traders welcome TDU to make money.
Council about to spend thousands on TDU (for traders not cyclists) yet my repeated requests for $100 bicycle parking outside Coles and PO ignored. My first submission was when shopping mall was in planning stage, about 2004.
Read this. http://www.indaily.com.au/?iid=53939#folio=001
Heather, Coordinator of Prospect BUG (Bicycle User Group)Are you in a position to contact the Messenger on Monday and confirm from a truckies view?
Journalist Lisa Bachmayer, bachmayerl@mng.newsltd.com.au, phone 8130 0110 -
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