Adelaide Cyclists

Information

BUG-Prospect

This is the online group & homepage for the Prospect BUG (Bike User Group). Prospect BUG is open to cyclists who live, work or commute in Prospect. The administrator of this group is Heather. Feel free to join and comment on issues.

Location: Prospect, Adelaide
Members: 10
Latest Activity: Mar 20

About the Prospect BUG - Current Campaigns

This group is administered by Heather. Send her a message through her page.

Are you a cyclist, who lives, works, commutes or trains in Prospect? If so, please join us to seek safer cycling in Prospect.

Some of the BUGs key concerns are advocating to council for better consideration of cyclists' needs. We seek retention of bicycle lanes, ticketing of persistent illegal parking in bicycle lanes, fixing of road hazards, and suitable bicycle parking. Recently the group got Australia Post to agree to stop parking in the Prospect Road bicycle lane.

Stop a precedent of removing bicycle lanes on arterial roads. This affects the WHOLE STATE and ANYONE who cycles in SA.

The paper petition of Cycling Arterial Roads is continuing - will not present during government caretaker period. There is also an online petition at www.ipetitions.com/petition/prospectbikelane

Will you please write a letter to politicians?

For email addresses of politicians, see file Contact_Politicians_v3.pdf

[Word file - Contact_Politicians_v3.doc]

For info and inspiration, read file Pertinent_References.pdf [Word file Pertinent_References.doc]

Discussion Forum

heather

Media Release: Over 3000 cyclists sign a petition to keep bicycle lanes

Will the State Government honour its Cycling Strategy and Austroads? Why are mixed messages being sent on climate change, road safety and cycling? In particular, the safety of cyclists who choose to…

Started by heather Mar 7.

heather

My deputation re “Your Street, Your City” before Prospect Council

In adopting the Prospect Road Masterplan of November 2009, Prospect Council has made clear its attitude to cycling. On page 39, removal of the bicycle lanes is to be done in the short term. On page 4…

Started by heather Mar 7.

heather

arterial traffic onto bikedirect streets 1 Reply

Dear Braund Road and Myrtle Street Residents, Your rates and taxes will pay for Prospect Road changes – again. Council knows that the plan will move arterial traffic into residential streets. I last…

Started by heather. Last reply by heather Feb 24.

heather

Prospect wants cyclists - for one day a year 1 Reply

Letter, after editing, published in the City Northof 3 February 2010, on page 14.Cyclists discouragedProspect has a long history of not supporting cycling, and does not deserve to reap the financial…

Started by heather. Last reply by heather Feb 24.

Comment Wall

Add a Comment

You need to be a member of BUG-Prospect to add comments!

heather Comment by heather on March 20, 2010 at 7:43pm
Letter of Hon Jane Lomax-Smith, Member for Adelaide, to David O’Loughlin, Mayor of Prospect.

Dear Mayor O’Loughlin,

I have been contacted by Heather … on behalf of the Prospect Bicycle User Group, regarding the City of Prospect’s Masterplan for Prospect Road.

Heather is very concerned that the designs approved by Council include a ‘shared zone’ in the ‘Village Heart’ precinct, which involves a narrowing of the road and the removal of the dedicated bicycle lanes that extend along Prospect Road.

As a regular bicycle user, and a previous victim of a bicycle and car accident, Heather is outraged that a bicycle lane would be removed and cyclists put at risk by pushing them into a narrow road with motor traffic, including buses. According to her calculations there would be barely enough room to put a bicycle next to a bus in the space provided in the concept drawings, let alone provide a safe distance for travelling.

Heather is also concerned that the planned traffic calming measures for Prospect Road will push north / south traffic onto Braund Road, which will put at risk other cyclists, including children, as well as aggravate local residents.

Cycling is an increasingly popular, environmentally friendly method of travel and is also an effective way of keeping fit and therefore staving off obesity and chronic illness. Bicycle lanes are an important way to encourage cycling by providing a safe environment in which to undertake the activity.

I am therefore very concerned that the City of Prospect would seek to remove the only continuous bicycle lane in the Council area and ask that this decision be reviewed before the Prospect Road Masterplans are implemented.

Yours sincerely, Jane Lomax-Smith, State Member of Adelaide, 17/3/10

Delivered to Heather’s postal box on Friday 19-Mar-2010. Collected 20-Mar-2010.
heather Comment by heather on March 14, 2010 at 10:00pm
Bicycle lane removal accepted by Member for Adelaide.

I attended Meet the Candidates on Wednesday 10 March 2010 in the North Adelaide Community Hall. I wanted to ask Jane Lomax-Smith, ALP Member for Adelaide, and Minister for Tourism, her views on Prospect Council’s plan to remove a section of bicycle lanes on Prospect Road, and narrow the road.

Note that the removal of bicycle lanes is against the State Government’s policy Safety in Numbers, A Cycling Strategy for South Australia 2006-2010. Also the plan does not comply with Guide to Traffic Engineering Practice: Part 14 – Bicycles by Austroads and Standards Australia

My questions included:
1Will the State Government honour its Cycling Strategy and Austroads?
2Why are mixed messages being sent on climate change, road safety and cycling?
3In particular, the safety of cyclists who choose to use sustainable transport of the bicycle.

At first Jane spoke of other things, rather than answering my questions. I tried a second and third time to get an answer. Finally Jane said that Labor would not interfere in local council plans. I reminded Jane that Prospect Road is not owned by local council, but is an arterial road under the control of DTEI and Sate Government. Unfortunately the current Labor Member for Adelaide accepts removal of a section of bicycle lanes on Prospect Road, plus narrowing of the road.

You could verify the above with other candidates who were present. For example:
1Rachel Sanderson, Liberal, rachel.sanderson@saliberal.org.au
2Brett Ferris, The Greens, bferris1703@gmail.com
3Samantha Paior, Dignity for Disabilities
4Tom Birdseye, Gamers4Croydon, Tom.Birdseye@gamers4croydon.org

The Liberal candidate had not heard of potential removal of bicycle lanes, and does not have a policy on it. The Greens candidate said that he will support cycling, and signed the petition to retain bicycle lanes on arterial roads.
heather Comment by heather on March 2, 2010 at 12:24pm
Published on InProspect Indaily, 2 March 2010, page 3

The Prospect BUG
A newly formed Bicycle User Group, the Prospect BUG, is for residents who are interested in cycling. Heather, Coordinator of Prospect BUG welcomes people to contact the group at prosbug[a]adam.com.au and says,

“A bicycle is more useful than some people realise. For example, a sturdy mountain bike can safely carry 30 kg of shopping. A specialised bicycle and/or trailer can carry even more and larger items. One can combine cycling with trains to travel further…and (you) incorporate exercise into daily activities (my GP likes this one!)”

She cites some reasons why people take up either recreational or commuter cycling:
1. Love of cycling and environmental concerns.
2. An advantage over public transport – a bicycle can take your from your doorstep to exact destination, at your preferred time, and without waiting at bus stops.
3. Transport ease – reduce your dependence on the private car, and by-pass traffic jams and searching for car parking.
4. Cost – once you have paid for set-up costs, cycling costs are almost nothing.
5. Community spirit – reduce:
-- air and noise pollution
-- road congestion
-- need for new roads and maintenance (not fully funding by motoring charges so we all contribute in rates and taxes)
-- vehicle collisions and injuries, the suffering and cost
-- public-funded medical costs when limited exercise leads to ill health.

This project is supported by the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure.
Patrick Sunter Comment by Patrick Sunter on February 28, 2010 at 8:24am
That's very sad news Heather. Hope they all recover soon & the police investigate it properly.
heather Comment by heather on February 27, 2010 at 9:13pm
Channel 7 News on Saturday 27 Feb 2010
Three cyclists hospitalised after car collision.
A car has collided with three cyclists at Prospect in Adelaide's north this morning. The accident happened at the intersection of Prospect Road and Regency Road just after 8:00am. The three male cyclists have been taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. At least one has multiple fractures.
Patrick Sunter Comment by Patrick Sunter on February 4, 2010 at 4:02pm
G'day all, nice to see the online BUG membership growing and hope the petition gets a response.

Thanks for the message to Kristina - yes I had the chance to get to both Copenhagen & Amsterdam too this time last year - they are very inspiring for cycling aren't they.
Bicycle Fish Comment by Bicycle Fish on February 3, 2010 at 8:40am
here's a small nit pick...when citing a published document ( eg letter to the Editor) it's customary to bracket the Title, to distinguish it from other text ( eg "Prospect wants cyclists – for only one day a year ")
It's also useful, to identify the Author, especially if citing one's OWN letter, at the beginnning of the citation. Without such citation, it's harder to comprehand the point of the post/letter than it needs to be. and for what it's worth, I think I may prefer a traffic calmed Prospect Rd to an almost useless and contentious "bike lane" such as the present one - I don't feel protected by white paint.
Letter, after editing, published in the City
Amanda Steele Comment by Amanda Steele on January 31, 2010 at 3:01pm
A letter to several Ministers and the Independent Weekly was published 22 Jan http://www.indaily.com.au/?xml=indailynew&iid=32696 in the Letters section. I'll post a response from a Minister when I get one...
Amanda Steele Comment by Amanda Steele on November 13, 2009 at 7:29pm
I've just created an online petition as well to get more signatures
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/prospectbikelane/
 

Members (10)

heather Patrick Sunter Bicycle Fish Kristina Barnett Travis Gottschutzke Road Repair Australia Amanda Steele Doddsy Claire Boland Joshua Steele
 
 
 

© 2010   Created by Angus Kingston on Ning.   Create a Ning Network!

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Privacy  |  Terms of Service