News & Discussion: Active Transport

[Nathan]

That's right, it allows the bike to lean against something - rather than a pole where it's just going to spin around and fall over. It also means you can lock up a wheel, or both wheels, instead of just the frame.

[Omicron]

The Bicycle Institute of South Australia has been developing a concept called "Green Links", which makes use of the existing roads and boulevards which run parallel to train lines. These roads have low car traffic volumes and are well suited to cyclists. The problem though is that there are many dead ends along these roads, and they cross busy roads. If we can fill in these dead ends (eg by extending a bike path temporarily onto the railway reserve until it reaches the next section of road) and bridge busy roads, cyclists can travel alongside the railway lines at high speed and minimal inconvenience. Cycle commuting could become much more viable this way.

Good idea. High-volume main roads and bikes don't mix, and should be separated wherever possible.

[Algernon]

I bet this a face nobody thought they'd see on SA again

I guess I'm attracted to this topic because bike riding has become a bit of a passion of mine since I moved to Canberra, and having now seen planning for bike traffic done right I think I have sufficient perspective on why bike riding in Adelaide sucks so badly that I avoided it for the first 25 years of my life living there.

For those who don't know Canberra was a pretty radical departure from the other mainland capitals in its urban planning ethos which favours very low density development, heavy land use decentralisation, and planning around transport. Now although that transport mode is predominantly cars followed by daylight, moonlight then torchlight, the accomodation of bicycles is light years ahead of Adelaide. Every nook and cranny can be reached by some form of bike track. The overwhelming majority are grade separated, linear park style bike tracks flanked by lakes and nature and no main road in sight. Better still, the bike lanes are extensively complemented with underpasses that allow you to avoid crossing main roads. If in the rare instance there's no dedicated bike track there's a bike lane on the main road without fail. And in addition to both it's legal to ride on the footpath.

If you build it do they come? God-freaking-yes they do. If you ride on weekends the only legitimate word to describe the average bike lane is 'traffic.' There's so many people riding around it's like the tour de frog. They're everywhere! Canberra's cycling as a proportion of all transport modes smashes any other mainland capital because it's just been Done Right. I was a pack a day smoker in my late teens/20s in Adelaide, now I ride 2 hours a day without fail in Canberra.

Now, of course there are still issues. Namely that in the very rare instance you ride on the road you're going to get tonked. In the last year I've copped it twice, the first an ambo/hospital job, the second relatively unscathed. You can plan for bicycles, but you can't plan for the stupidity of the average car driver. And this is why I've come to think of bike lanes as being some sort of sick joke that lives in the minds of bureaucrats that haven't seen a bicycle since the last time they saw their own toes. Cars and bikes can not, will not get along. They need to be separated by trees and hills, not paint. If you don't do it right people don't ride, because it takes a special type of balls to take on that sort of risk every day. Balls that only 1% of us have.

The average South Aussie that persists with riding a bike in Adelaide is a warrior with balls like water melons. You will never get me riding down Goodwood Rd, Henley Beach Rd, South Rd, Port Rd, Anzac Highway. If I ever return for good you won't see me buying property more than 1km from the linear park track.

[monotonehell]

Welcome back!

[Nathan]

Would love to see some photos!

I think it's a little embarrassing that Adelaide has big wide roads, flat terrain, and we host the Tour Down Under - and yet our cycling infrastructure is well below par. I agree there needs to be more than just a painted white line. The number of people I see on Hutt St using the bike lane as a stopping lane to pick people up, or as a turning lane is unbelievable.

[monotonehell]

It's been said so many times, and there's one test over in the west of Adelaide, but it MUST go:

| Buildings | Footpath || Cycleway || wide separator for car door swinging and bus stops || on street parking (if any) | road >

On street painted bikeways are stupid and dangerous. Many drivers disrespect buslanes, let alone bikelanes.

[jk1237]

I still prefer painted bike lanes than nothing.

Algernon, with those roads you say, its recommended that you take the 1st quiet street that runs parrallel to the main roads. They're much quieter, safer and nicer. For example, I never ever ride along Payneham Rd, I use First Ave. Adelaide isnt that bad to ride around though. Just concentrate hard and expect taxis to drive like retards and cut you off Linear park I sometimes avoid, due to the large amount of walkers on the track

[fkj]

i have noticed separated bike lanes begining to appear, witha median strip type thing separating it from the road,
the road that goes from west terrace, at the new CMI toyota site, and up to whitmore square has been updated in the fashion mentioned by monotonehell, with all the bus stops on this 'median strip' between the bikes and the road, so any cyclist traveling along there wouldnt have to worry about busses or cars

Unfortunatley it seems to me that this is the only road of its type, in terms of the bikelane, in the cbd.
But i have noticed the upgrade of the Pultney Street/Rundle Street intersections, with a dedicated bike area infront of the cars, for bikes turning right i assume, and this looks very nice,
i will aim to get pictures of both of these upgrades before new years eve.

Has anyone else seen upgrades of this sort anywhere else in the CBD?

[monotonehell]

That's the only such installation so far, it's a test. There's no immediate plans for others until the "results" come in. AFAIK.

[fkj]

well i like it so far, rode around town today actually, i found that the new bike area infront of the cars at the intersection worked rather well, and was a lot less daunting then it usually is turningg right on a main road in the cbd

[ChrisRT]

i found that the new bike area infront of the cars at the intersection worked rather well, and was a lot less daunting then it usually is turningg right on a main road in the cbd

I think what you are referring to is a bike box. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_stop_line

I didn't know we had any in Adelaide. It's good to hear that council has started installing them. Hopefully more will come.

[AG]

There's another bike box on Rundle Street adjacent to Pulteney Street that was installed when that section of the street was upgraded recently. I'm yet to see anyone use it though.

[rhino]

Well the four bridges are open and this trail is now in use. Official openning is this Saturday. My wife and I each got official invites to it (odd, as we live at the same address), but unfortunately we'll be away. This morning as i drove to work I was surprised to see heaps of cars parked at the end of my road, where the bikeway crosses, and waaaayyy too much blue and white lycra strutting around . Good to see it getting use though, it's been a long time coming

[ChrisRT]

Sounds awesome. Got any pics?

[rhino]

Article in the Hills Courier says that the Government is going to throw $1million a year at this trail until it's finished. Next year should see the section between Woodside and Charleston completed.

I suspect that after that the next sections would probably be Charleston-Mount Torrens, then Mount Torrens-Birdwood, then Birdwood Mount Pleasant.