We think it is great when councils work hard to improve cyclist safety and to promote safe cycling routes to their residents. We are far less excited by councils who give lip-service to cyclist safety and are at best untruthful about what is being provided to their residents.

Brisbane City Council is again on our radar for the above reasons. Their website and Facebook page would suggest that they wish to entice more people who live within 10km of the CBD to ride their bicycles to work in the CBD, but here is reality of what their signage would suggest.

If you work in the Southbank area and live in Stafford (8.7km from the CBD), you have quiet roads and then various bicycle and pedestrian bridges to get you from work to the CBD. Assuming that you come back to the CBD via Kurilpa Bridge, you are then dumped at the Law Court Precinct (an area that despite being the recommended BCC cycling route, may be closed to cyclists within months leaving you to have to walk through it or else brave the peak hour traffic to get to the recommended route)

.Once through the Law Court Precinct, BCC provides you with a short bicycle lane along with a recommended route to your destination.

But soon after any thought that this is a safe, protected route for people riding bicycles is thrown out the window when less than 100m later you find yourself riding on a 3 lane road, in heavy traffic with only Bicycle Awareness Zone signage to protect you. Not much further along the road even the BAZ signage is lost completely.

Come on Brisbane City Council, this is not suitable. This is not what a #newagecity would be offering its residents.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, Cyclists in your City deserve better than to have to dice with heavy traffic to get to and from their families and work colleagues.

Mark BaileyMark Bailey how does this meet your Governments Road Safety initiatives? Is this what you are working towards through your ongoing discussions with Bicycle Queensland and RACQ?

Brisbane and Queensland can do much better. They have the same budget as Melbourne and Sydney (and their associated states). They are just not spending the funds as well and are not listening to the input of those groups that can offer most.

THE VICTORIAN GREENS HAVE CALLED FOR SAFER CYCLING

Today in Parliment the Victorian Greens have asked for #AMetreMatters safe overtaking laws to be introduced.

Follow this to the Greens Page: A METRE MATTERS FOR BIKE SAFETY

Go here to sign the petition for Parliment: A METRE MATTERS PETITION

Currently, Victoria’s road rules give ‘guidance’ about overtaking bicycle riders: ‘Be patient and give bike riders a clearance of at least one metre when passing them, more if travelling over 60km/h.’

 According to the Victorian Government’s website, as part of its Cycling into the Future 2013-23: Victoria’s Cycling Strategy, VicRoads is currently reviewing the Victorian road safety road rules and road safety legislation. VicRoads says it expects to provide the Cycling Road Rules review to Government in early 2015.

Samantha Dunn MP of the Victorian Greens has introduced new laws to Victorian Parliament that are based on the Amy Gillett Foundation recommendations for safe cycling. Under the proposal, motor vehicles overtaking a bicycle rider will be required to allow:

• A minimum 1 metre buffer on roads with a speed limit of up to 60 km/h
• A minimum 1.5 metre buffer on roads with a faster speed limit.

Across the country, governments are moving to create safer roads for riding bikes. Queensland started a two-year trial of minimum distance passing laws in April 2014. South Australia and ACT governments are preparing to start 'metre matters' trials. The WA parliament is currently debating metre matters legislation tabled by Greens MP Lynne MacLaren.

Under the proposed bill, drivers overtaking bicycle riders may move in the same way as if they were avoiding an obstruction of the road, for example:

• move to the right move out of their marked lane
• move from one marked lane to another marked lane by crossing a continuous line separating the lanes
• drive on or over a continuous white edge line on a road.

For more information follow this link: http://cycle.org.au/FAQs_OneMetreMatters_S_Dunn.pdf

An explaination of the bill can be found here: http://cycle.org.au/Samantha_Dunnn_A_Metre_Matters_Ex_Mem.pdf

In Social and Traditional Media

Social media was set alight last night with The Age and The Herald Sun releasing The Greens media release early. This caused a large number of media outlets to contact cycling groups all over Melbourne.

As part of that, ACA was contacted and agreed to be interviewed by a number of outlets, starting with 3AW, talking to Neil Mitchell we discussed the ins and outs of how easy it is to use this legislation (if accepted into law) to help drivers move safely around bicycle riders.

3AW Story is here: http://www.3aw.com.au/news/greens-propose-one-metre-buffer-zone-for-cyclists-20150318-1m1n9q.html

It was a little sad to hear a driving instructor say that his pupils and himself could not judge a metre distance, it is sadly defeatist and leaves open the lack of skills there must be in training new drivers. The width of any car should be known by the driver, but maybe that explains the issues we see with people trying to parallel park in our cities.

Each time we were interviewed today, it was more of an education into giving drivers an extra rule to help them move more safely around vulnerable road users on bicycles. The one metre rule is not taking away from the road, nor is it stopping the 99% of good drivers on the road, it is about giving drivers another option to pass safely.

Channel 9 with Laura Spurway covered the story several times, this is the  6pm News Article.

How to sell #ametrematters

The general idea held in the beliefs of the motoring public is they are about to lose a metre of road every time they come upon a cyclist. This is not true. The truth is they are gaining an entirely new lane, the one they were not allowed to use before.

The Laws in Victoria currently state you can not legally cross a double line, solid line next to a dashed line or a continuous solid line, even if you were overtaking farm equipment or passing livestock. Yet every day country people have had to do this. City ‘folk’ have been told it is dangerous to cross this line ever, and that is correct in the case of overtaking other fast moving traffic, or if you can not see the road ahead, so nothing changes here.

But if you are approaching a group of riders that are not going as fast as your car or the limit dictates and it is safe to go, once you ensure you can pass safely, you can traverse the centre line to safely overtake.

As seen in our post about overtaking bicycle riders that choose to ride 2 abreast, sometimes it is quick and safe to do so by leaving your lane and moving into the other lane. 

 This video clip from Safe Cycling Ireland shows how easy it is to do so.

The above images show how to overtake by leaving the current lane and moving to the other side of the road to pass. This ensures we all get home alive.

In Tasmania, there is no legislation, but a clarification and de-criminalisation of the overtaking law. This has lead to a reduction in confusion, car drivers now know and accept they are allowed to overtake by going over the centre line when safe to do so.

The fallacy that there will be thousands of head-on collisions and that the roads will be gridlocked is also wrong, we have seen in US states, and especially in European countries that there is no extra strain on the road, just safer driving around people on bikes. In Queensland there have been no reported head on collisions, and the instance of dangerous driving around cyclists is reducing.

In conclusion

The Australian Cycle Alliance supports:

1. The proposed bill in Victoria for motor vehicles overtaking a bicycle rider to allow: - A minimum 1 metre when travelling below 60 km/h - A minimum 1.5 metre when travelling at speeds above 60km/h.
2. The Model Australian Road Rule 144a to be made consistent across Australia.

With bicycle riding being encouraged due to its benefits to society, cyclists are taking over the streets, annoying motorists and putting the lives of pedestrians in danger. They might not pose a threat to people inside cars, but we hear about the danger of pedestrians being run over all the time, so surely there is reason for concern?

I am a pedestrian, bike rider, motorists and even occasional scooter rider. We read a lot about the relationship between people behind the wheel and on the ones two (bike riders), but seldom about pedestrians and how they interact with bike riders.

Cars – the dominant species on Planet Earth

When ‘Ford’ from ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ first came to earth, he stepped onto a road and tried to introduce himself to a speeding car, because he understandably thought that cars were the dominant species. That moment was his first experience as a pedestrian on Planet Earth, and almost his last. I’m guessing he quickly learned that cars are king (which was historically not the case) and pedestrians belong on the gaps between roads and buildings after space is allocated to cater for motorised vehicles - referred to as the arrogance of Space. Sure, we do need roads and you can’t walk everywhere (not all the way at least), but big cities are filled with pedestrians that pour out of train stations, from bus stops and parking garages and continue on foot to take on the final section of their journey, referred to as the last mile problem.

Pedestrians walk shoulder-to-shoulder on the safety of a footpath, subconsciously aware that if they step out of line, they put their lives at risk.

Sharing space

As a pedestrian using a shared path, I had to learn to behave differently than when on a footpath. I learned to walk in a straight line and look over my shoulder when I change direction. But there is still the fear that some silent ninja on a bicycle is going to fly close pass me and scare the living daylights out of me. It would be pure luck that I didn’t change direction at that precise moment, as pedestrians often do. Even though it almost never happens, a small hint of fear is always in the back of my head and that fear can turn into annoyance and enough annoyance can turn into despise of this ‘other species’, the bicycle riders invading my space. Just the idea that you no longer are in a comfortable, safe place, can fuel this flame. Frustrations build up, whether it is based on actual threat or a vague annoyance.

This is verbalised as ‘danger’ and that very odd near miss, ‘last minute swerve’ or rider ‘appearing out of nowhere’ becomes absolute proof that your life is at risk. And that story of a friend of a friend that got ran over by a cyclist is the nail in the coffin.

I rarely share footpaths with bicycles and when I do the nature of the space is such that the rider can’t go much faster than walking speed, but there are footpaths used more frequently by bicycles due to lack of safe cycling infrastructure and that the result would be similar.

A new threat - bicycles

With cities promoting cycling due to the potential that they offer in reduce congestion, pollution, infrastructure and health cost, people on bicycles are becoming more prominent. Cities are working hard towards #minimumgrid which will ensure that the need to use the same space is minimised. With enough protected bikelanes and lower speed limits, there would be less reason to share space, but anyone that has spent time in a city knows there are growing pains.

When do bike riders and pedestrians interact?

• When we share the road, for example at a crossings
• On footpaths, where in some states it is legal for people of all ages to ride bicycles while in other states only if you are under 12 years of age
• On shared paths

Footpaths

Assertive riders prefer roads where they can commute at higher speeds, but casual bike riders do occasionally use the footpaths. This possibly happens for multiple and short periods of time, to navigate between sections where they feel more comfortable to ride. These riders are usually not the assertive type of riders and mainly do it to avoid a busy section of road, and usually at a speed not much faster than walking.

Stopping them from using these footpaths might result in them stopping riding all together due to lack of other safe options.

Pedestrians have, and should have right of way and there is probably the occasional inconsiderate person that abuses their right to use a footpath (in states where it is legal) by weaving in between pedestrians at high speeds. There is no need to defend these people – they are a menace and not the norm.

Shared Paths

Pedestrians are expected to share space with a faster moving object, cyclist are annoyed with the wandering, smartphone-obsessed chaos, and motorists are frustrated that their money is spent on ‘cyclepaths’, but sometimes avoided by cyclists. These two different worlds are suddenly expected to understand each other’s rules.

With limited space and budget, shared paths are an attractive compromise for government organisations. It is a complex issue with different designs and purposes. Some of them are better than others, but in areas with high activity and less space (where pedestrians and bike riders need their own space the most) there will always be potential for conflict.

Renowned international bicycle blogger David Hembrow says “Where conflict between cyclists and pedestrians occur, it is almost always due to cyclists being forced to use infrastructure which is not designed for them at all” and “Even when taking care, [bike rider’s] behaviour seems aggressive and unpredictable to many pedestrians.”

There seems to be no educational programs on using shared paths and the two different types of road users are expected to magically adjust to the new situation.

There are also some designs that cause higher levels of frustration, for example where a bikepath ends and continues onto a shared path. It is a bit like someone driving along at 100 km/h that suddenly has to slow down to 40 km/h, with pedestrians in the middle of the chaos.

On the road

People on foot or bike do have interaction on the road, for example at intersections. Bike riders running red lights are on the lookout for motor vehicles and might not spot a pedestrian. While I don’t condone cyclist running red lights, this research found that most riders do this believing their actions are safe and at the same time believes it increases their own safety.

The reverse happens as well, when pedestrians cross at times when the traffic lane has right of way, once again, looking out for a motor vehicle travelling in the centre of the road and not for a bike rider closer to the edge. In the UK, most pedestrians that are hurt by cyclists are as a result of the pedestrian not hearing or seeing the rider and stepping into the path of an oncoming rider.

Stats

According to BITRE, In Australia in 2014 there were 152 pedestrian fatalities, trending downwards from 226 in 2005. Only 0.4% of fatalities were caused by cyclists (between 2009– 2013).

Another study by Australasian College of Road Safety concluded that in Sydney the chances of getting struck by a bicycle are, conservatively measured, less than once for each 75 million trips. The risk of dying as a result of tripping and falling on a footpath is 23 times higher than being killed by a bicycle.

The risk of getting injured is conservatively calculated at 1 injury per 460 00 trips. The Sydney study used in this analysis, unfortunately doesn’t offer a breakdown in the severity of the different injury types (for example head injury), other than noting that 29% were superficial injuries of the lower leg.

It also says that “The integration of cyclists and pedestrians on shared user paths would largely protect cyclists from vehicle impact injuries without unreasonably enhancing the risk to pedestrians. [It is] proposed that there were no major reasons to justify the exclusion of cyclist from pedestrian areas.”

People are not just numbers, but it is clear that the most lives can be saved by focussing on the 96.6%, but at the same time if bike riders using footpaths responsibly are not prosecuted, the increasing cycling fatalities could possibly be changed for the better.

Perceived vs real threat

What I take out of this, is that there is no carnage. There is no constant, high threat posed by bicycle riders. There is annoyance. There is an element of fear. Perceived risk. Possibly a reduced enjoyment of the journey for both parties. And yes, an extremely low risk of getting hurt.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem. I couldn’t find any research on how bikes and pedestrians sharing space influence the personal experience.

In terms of well-designed shared paths, over time people that use the same path day by day, by my experience, seem to adjust their behaviour and a shared path culture evolves. With enough space, good design and a cultural adjustment they could possibly work, but if there is constant conflict it means there is something wrong and this is unfair to both users. It would also mean that pedestrians need to get used to sharing space with cyclists and accept it is not dangerous, but that they are no longer in their own space.

By encouraging people to use bicycles instead of motorised vehicles, city centres become safer and more enjoyable. And with the increased uptake of riding, it opens up the opportunity to replace traffic lanes with protected bikelanes. There will always be sharing, but the level and quality of sharing is key. We have to reshape our cities faster. This is a big, expensive, painful political minefield and along the way there will be frustrations and we will have to tolerate them without giving up on working towards the ideal solution. Pedestrians and bikeriders do have common goals – being active while using the most sustainable method to get somewhere, being part of the solution for constantly growing cities and all that they asked for in return is to be safe. These two groups have different requirements and when there is conflict between them, the focus should be on fixing the infrastructure instead of making assumptions about intention and character.

There is simply not enough room to host private vehicles and attempting to do so, results in pedestrians being pushed into the ‘leftover’ space and also an increase of bike riders not being accommodated. And this all for the sake of the expensive luxury of driving from doorstep to doorstep.

It is time that pedestrians and bike riders (humans), become the dominant specie again.

#AlbisRide

In honor of Alberto Paulon, the bicycle rider who lost his life because of an alleged car dooring, we will take back the street and remind everyone everywhere that roads are for sharing.

The ride starts at the most southern end of Sydney Rd in the park lands on Royal Pde, and will proceed to Moreland Road to the Railway Station car park.
Here is the Facebook invite

There have been three deaths since 2010 where a #CarDooring incident has seen a rider thrown into the path of a truck.
- James Cross in 2010
- John Cornish in 2011
- Alberto Paulon in 2015.

It has been said that bikes should not use Sydney Rd as it is too dangerous, but Sydney Rd in Brunswick Victoria is a hub of activity and is a destination for many riders.

So what makes this road so dangerous at this point, because it is a squeeze point, where cars, trams, buses, trucks and bikes try to go along the road together.

What needs to happen? We need the state government to look at this road and take serious consideration to work on fixing the issues.

But in the mean time, we are going to ride on Sydney Rd on the 6th of March to show solidarity and to remember the riders we have lost to car doorings.

Because let's be honest, any one getting out of a car can check before they exit, yet it is hard to find a rider that has not had a car door open infront of them.

Maps and route are available here: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/641010344.
We will meet from 5.00pm on The Avenue, south of Sydney Rd - North end of Royal Pde. From here we will head onto Sydney Rd at around 5.45pm, ending up at Gandolfo Gardens (where Moreland train station is). Please put a bell on your bike if you dont have one.

Use the #AlbisRide on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. It is starting to trend and we want to focus on Albi and his family during this event.

Don't forget to wear Green if you can, the brighter the better.

Walkers are welcome and there will be marshals for both bike riders and pedestrians, they will finish at My HandleBar at 583 Sydney Rd.

The Amy Gillett Foundation is supporting this ride and Simon Gillett will be talking before we commence along with Cristina, Edward Hore and Jane Garrett. We have Police support for this event and the North bound lanes will be closed to motorists allowing only bike riders and if required the walkers to use the lane.

Please note, Alberto's family also supports this ride and will be there, as noted as one of the speakers.

Map information is loaded into MapMyRide.

News Article from the Herald Sun.

Petition to get Sydney Rd Clearways addressed. This is a small section, but is the start of a larger body of works.

Media can contact Edward Hore on 03 9416 9300 or 0418 301 031.

Follow Cycle for immediate updates.
http://facebook.com/cycle.org.au

This Sunday the State Government will start the demolition of $4.9m worth of the safe separated cycleway along College Street without providing a viable alternative to current and future bicycle riders. The removal of this popular and proven safe infrastructure will force the 2,200 daily trips made on the existing cycleway onto the congested and potentially unsafe traffic lanes. A move not popular with people driving OR riding.

The existing riders on College Street are primarily accessing the north-east of the city and cannot do so via Kent Street on the western side of the CBD.

Construction of the Light Rail has been given to justify the removal of the cycleway. With little to no evidence that the government has adequately measured the safety implications of their decision it raises the question of how will the government respond when the first accident occurs along this busy street. 

“We anticipate the existing 2,200 bicycle trips per day on the College Street Cycleway will continue to use College Street but on the road. As a consequence cyclists’ safety will be decreased and the congestion for motorists significantly increased. Ultimately the efficiency and productivity of the transport system will fail to serve everyone trying to access the city”, says Bicycle NSW CEO Ray Rice.

This shameful waste of money is contra to the Government’s own Sydney’s Cycling Future (Dec 2013) plan which calls for “investing is separated cycleways and providing connected bicycle networks to major centres and transport interchanges.” Regrettably there is no network in Sydney, and removing this existing infrastructure weakens the little that does exist. The 2015 Cycling Participation Survey released today confirms improvements to infrastructure have created a better environment for cycling, which has led to more people riding. Now is the time to keep the momentum going by committing to improved and increased infrastructure, implementing the Cycling Safety Action Plan and not removing critical infrastructure such as College Street cycleway.

The NRMA’s top priority in their Cycling Strategy (March 2015) is seeking the State Government to “deliver a minimum grid of separated cycle paths in the Sydney CBD, as proposed in the Sydney City Centre Access Strategy”. And the recent Speak Out post from the NRMA Advocacy Newsroom recognises the Save the College Street Cycleway as one of the most popular submissions ever. It is not just the cycling community who want this infrastructure retained but the motoring community too.

Bicycle NSW believe that during the construction of the Light Rail, too much emphasis is being placed on catering for the existing number of vehicles, while little thought is being given to the alternatives of active transport including walking and cycling. This is reflected in the removal of the College St Cycleway and the narrowing of footpaths at some CBD locations.

If the State government would embrace and prioritise active transport we could have their highly marketed “Tomorrow’s Sydney” today!

PICNIC PROTEST, hosted by Save College Street Cycleway Community

Date: Sunday 26 July 2015
Time: 5pm onwards
Location: Hyde Park, corner of College Street and Liverpool Street
Facebook event : found here

Background: The demolition of the College Street Cycleway will commence on the evening of Sunday 26 July. Community group Save College Street Cycleway is calling everyone in the community to attend. “If you care about cycling in Sydney, this is the time to make your presence felt. We will be holding a picnic in Hyde Park at the corner of College St and Liverpool St, adjacent to the cycleway, from 5pm. Bring your bike, bring your family, bring your friends, food, drink, music and bring your lights. We are going to celebrate our cycleway long into the evening and we will stop the State government from demolishing it.”

About Bicycle NSW

Bicycle NSW has been the peak body for recreational bicycle riding in NSW since 1976. A community not-for-profit member based organisation with over 20,000 members and supporters with the mission of ‘creating a better environment for cycling’. Membership with Bicycle NSW includes personal accident and third party liability insurance when you’re riding, and many other benefits of belonging. Through advocacy, recreational cycling events and public education, Bicycle NSW aims to promote bike riding as a healthy, safe, enjoyable leisure and transport choice and is working closely with government, businesses, councils and local Bicycle User Groups to collaboratively improve the infrastructure and culture for bike riding.

Bicycle NSW conducts a program of bike riding events each year, including the annual Spring Cycle ride across the Sydney Harbour Bridge; the Gear Up Girl ride to coincide with International Women’s Day; and the Discovery Rides series that explore cycling throughout regional NSW. Bicycle NSW’s events attract more than 11,000 cyclists of all ages and abilities, on bikes of all shapes and sizes and is supporting an active and healthy community lifestyle.

Bicycle NSW encourages respectful, courteous, responsible bicycle riding.

Find out more about Bicycle NSW and our programs to create a better environment for cycling at

www.bicyclensw.org.au.

Cycling Coalition of Australia, media statement, 19 December 2014

Sydney’s WestConnex project, now being dubbed#WasteConnex,is looking more like the disastrous MelbourneEast-West Link which saw the Victorian government lose its seat after just one term.

Documents released in Victoria this week showed the East-West Link would have delivered just 45 cents in economic benefit for every dollar invested in construction.^[1]

There is no assurance from the NSW Government that the WestConnex project will be any better. With the NSW state elections coming up in March 2015, voters are still unsure of where WestConnex will go, what impacts it will have on their neighbourhoods, and how much it will cost.

Yesterday the NSW Auditor-General condemned the management of WestConnex for failing to follow best practice guidelines, despite being established to oversee the largest motorway project in Australia’s history. The Auditor-General highlighted that only one of five independent gateway reviews had been held.[2] That single review “found that the preliminary business case was deficient and fell well short of the standard required.”[3]

On 1 December the WestConnex route was substantially amended to add another kilometre of tunnelling and undisclosed billions of dollars to the cost. The proposed “northern extension” will take the route further to the north, into Rozelle and Balmain, and add a western harbour tunnel.

A few days after that announcement, the construction contract for 7.5 kilometres of Stage 1 (M4 widening from Parramatta to Homebush) was signed, ready to start construction in early 2015.^[4]

“There is very little public information about the project, and what is published is deeply disturbing,” a spokesperson for the Cycling Coalition of Australia said.

“A report released by WestConnex in August predicted that, over the next 25 years, the number of daily cycling trips will increase by just 23 per cent.[5] But the state government has committed to doubling the participation in cycling within five years, and that target was reached in the inner city in just three years. The WestConnex Delivery Authority is simply cooking up numbers to make their case. Australia reached peak car use in 2004 – statistics show that we are driving less every day, not more.”

“All colours of the political spectrum are alarmed by the WestConnex project,” says the Cycling Coalition of Australia. “From Lucy Turnbull who is chair of the Committee for Sydney, to Independent Lord Mayor Clover Moore^[6], and former liberal premier Nick Greiner. They are all saying that WestConnex is a disaster for NSW. We’re spending untold billions of dollars on yet another toll road that people don’t want to pay for.”

The former chair of Infrastructure NSW, Nick Greiner, who considers himself "one of the parents of WestConnex", has admitted he is deeply disappointed that the delivery of the motorway has been severed from the original purpose of improving Parramatta Road.

"Urban renewal and infrastructure need to be intimately connected, otherwise you are losing a substantial part of the purpose of the exercise," he said to a forum last week.^[7]

A typical cross section of the tunnel shows three lanes of traffic each way, with Parramatta Road looking exactly like it does now.

“Despite the rhetoric, the plans still don’t show wider footpaths for pedestrians, cycleways for bicycle riders, and dedicated bus lanes. It was meant to revitalise the local communities along Parramatta Road, and make Sydney a better place to live, but it has no mechanism to deliver on this promise,” the Cycling Coalition concluded.

Image: WestConnex Delivery Authority, August 2014 www.westconnex.com.au/explore_the_route/stage_1/index.html

The NSW Government has committed $1.8 billion to the WestConnex tollway project, with a further $1.5 billion grant from the Australian Government.

“The rest of the project will initially be funded through the sale of state electricity assets, and a massive loan from the Australian Government. But eventually the loans will have to be paid for through tolls. The Cross-City Tunnel has gone into receivership twice in ten years, and has just been sold to Transurban for a fraction of its construction cost. It is only taking half the number of cars it was designed for. WestConnex is headed the same way.”

The Cycling Coalition of Australia pointed out that, as part of the $1.5 billion grant from the federal government, the NSW government could include a separated cycle path as part of the grant funding. Instead the Westconnex Delivery Authority has said that bicycles can ride on the shoulder of the motorway.[8] NSW is the only state where this practice is legal.

The Cycling Coalition of Australia will be requesting that the state government:

1. Halt further progress until it has publicly release all relevant information associated with the project, including the full business case, traffic modelling and impact assessments, and the proposed locations of ramps, paths, portals and ventilation stacks.
2. Integrate the newly released Plan for Growing Sydney[9] with the NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan and other Transport for NSW policies.
3. Commit to delivering more viable transportation options, such as bus priority routes, light rail and heavy rail, and high quality bicycle paths and footpaths.
4. Commit to the full-scale renewal of Parramatta Road, with slow-speed, low-volume local traffic, high quality bicycle and foot paths, priority bus lanes, and a potential light-rail system in the future.
5. Incorporate a grade-separated bike path along the length of the WestConnex project, using part of the $1.5 billion federal funding allocation. This should include the current Stage 1 (M4 widening) which is undergoing final planning approval for construction.

CONTACT:

Edward Hore, President Cycle.org.au (m 0418 301 031)
Omar Khalifa, President Australia Cyclist Party (m 0411 693 014)
Sara Stace, Link Place (m 0468 515 410)

COPY:

WestConnex Delivery Authority This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
NSW Premier Mike Bairdwww.nsw.gov.au/your-government/contact-premier-new-south-wales
NSW Minister for Roads Duncan Gay MPwww.nsw.gov.au/contact-minister-roads-freight

Parramatta Road Urban Renewal              www.newparramattard.com.au