News & Discussion: Active Transport

[JamesXander]

The linear bike trail is being upgraded further again from where it currently ends on River Street.


However they have run low on funds so instead of building a mini side bridge sort of thing they want to close of part of the street and make it a bike trail, affecting 20+ busisness's.


Well done.

[monotonehell]

The linear bike trail is being upgraded further again from where it currently ends on River Street.


However they have run low on funds so instead of building a mini side bridge sort of thing they want to close of part of the street and make it a bike trail, affecting 20+ busisness's.


Well done.

"...Affecting 20+ busisness's..." what? I think you'll find the plural of business is businesses.

Could you provide more information? There's a River street in most suburbs that the Torrens passes through, and as far as I can see from a quick Google, the trail is complete.

[Nathan]

Yes, more info would be good. I thought the trail goes all the way to the Mt Lofty Ranges. All the River Streets that I can see along the trail on Google Maps look like suburban streets to me, so I'm curious about the over 20 businesses affected.

[rhino]

I think River St in Hindmarsh has businesses on it - but I'd be surprised if there were twenty!

[JamesXander]

It has over 20 businesses on it (thanks mono)



I think its the linear bike trail (parkslands, then along the torrens). They did a first stage that just finishes half way long the street. It goes from bitumen with fences and painted lines to gravel, no fences and no lines half way down. Ill take a photo later.


Basically the council wanted to do it in two stages, and have no come to the conclusion they can't fund it in its original form. With the first stage complete

[Prince George]

Is this the River Street that we're talking about? I think it looks like a crap location for a bike-lane, but I suspect not for the reasons that you're thinking of.

Putting words into your mouth, I imagine you're thinking about losing parking along the street, as was the complaint on Sturt St? The claim there was that the businesses needed all those parking spaces for customers to park in (which I think was bogus, because with so many parks for not so many businesses, I bet that if there's a problem it's because the owners themselves park there), but in this case the area is an industrial estate. The huge majority of them already have off-street parking. To boot, the street looks like it has a wide footpath on the river side; it certainly seems as though there would be space to include a separate bike-path with little or no loss of street space. Some photos would help explain what you're seeing.

To me it's poor because there's not much for the path to interact with, all it can be is a thoroughfare; bike paths make most sense where the street is a destination too. But if this is some sort of missing-link joining places that people do want to go to, then at least it still makes sense. Without this project happening, how are people getting from one end of the trail to the other?

[monotonehell]

It has over 20 businesses on it (thanks mono)
I think its the linear bike trail (parkslands, then along the torrens). They did a first stage that just finishes half way long the street. It goes from bitumen with fences and painted lines to gravel, no fences and no lines half way down. Ill take a photo later.
Basically the council wanted to do it in two stages, and have no come to the conclusion they can't fund it in its original form. With the first stage complete

???? ????

Which River Street? Where? Which council? Please be more specific, we've had to guess what you mean so far.

[sidler]

I ride this location most weekends. The location you are talking about is River Street, Hindmarsh. An off-road shared use path was constructed along 75% of the street last year but you have to merge back onto the road for the last 100m or so. You can see the new path quite clearly on nearmap.

There is only a narrow strip of land between the top of the river ebankment and the road through the last 100m and I doubt an off-road path would be possible. This is one of the last missing sections in the linear park so something needs to be done. Also, there is only 2 or 3 properties along this section and certainly not 20. Will be interesting to see what they come up with.

[Wayno]

Eastern bicycle boulevard vision

From the Eastern Courier:

A BOLD Australia-first plan to make a major eastern suburbs road a “bicycle boulevard” where cyclists would have right of way over motorists is being proposed by a local MP.

Norwood MP Steven Marshall, inspired by similar boulevards in the US, will hold a public meeting to gauge community interest next month.

Under the plan, which has been backed by BikeSA, cyclists would be permitted to ride anywhere on Beulah Rd, which runs from Glynburn Rd to Fullarton Rd, parallel with Magill and Kensington roads.

Motorists would still be allowed to use the strip, but cyclists would have right of way and the speed limit would be lowered to between 25km/h and 40km/h.

The so-called “bicycle boulevards” are used in Portland, Oregon, and Berkeley, California.

“Many locals want to cycle to work but Payneham Rd, Magill Rd, The Parade and Kensington Rd are just too busy and not safe enough,” Mr Marshall said.

“Cycling commuters are forced to either play Russian roulette with passing traffic on dangerous arterial roads or stick to the backstreets for prolonged, inefficient progress.”

Bike SA chief executive Christian Haag backed the plan, saying safety concerns put some people off cycling to work.

“Any plan that will get people riding a bike is terrific,” he said. “I myself live at Magill and ride down Beulah Rd to the city, I prefer it to Magill Rd.”

Police figures reveal there have already been four fatal accidents involving cyclists so far this year, twice the annual average. A Norwood man, 41, was killed when he was hit by a car on Payneham Rd, Stepney, in May.

There has been an additional 276 accidents where cyclists have been injured, compared to 236 at the same time last year.

Two thirds of casualty crashes and nearly three quarters of fatalities of cyclists occur on arterial roads.

[Aidan]

Eastern bicycle boulevard vision

From the Eastern Courier:

A BOLD Australia-first plan to make a major eastern suburbs road a “bicycle boulevard” where cyclists would have right of way over motorists is being proposed by a local MP.

Norwood MP Steven Marshall, inspired by similar boulevards in the US, will hold a public meeting to gauge community interest next month.

Under the plan, which has been backed by BikeSA, cyclists would be permitted to ride anywhere on Beulah Rd, which runs from Glynburn Rd to Fullarton Rd, parallel with Magill and Kensington roads.

Motorists would still be allowed to use the strip, but cyclists would have right of way and the speed limit would be lowered to between 25km/h and 40km/h.

The so-called “bicycle boulevards” are used in Portland, Oregon, and Berkeley, California.

“Many locals want to cycle to work but Payneham Rd, Magill Rd, The Parade and Kensington Rd are just too busy and not safe enough,” Mr Marshall said.

It's a good idea, but it doesn't go far enough! The bicycle boulevard should stretch all the way from the City to Magill UniSA campus.

“Cycling commuters are forced to either play Russian roulette with passing traffic on dangerous arterial roads or stick to the backstreets for prolonged, inefficient progress.”

Bike SA chief executive Christian Haag backed the plan, saying safety concerns put some people off cycling to work.

“Any plan that will get people riding a bike is terrific,” he said. “I myself live at Magill and ride down Beulah Rd to the city, I prefer it to Magill Rd.”

Police figures reveal there have already been four fatal accidents involving cyclists so far this year, twice the annual average. A Norwood man, 41, was killed when he was hit by a car on Payneham Rd, Stepney, in May.

There has been an additional 276 accidents where cyclists have been injured, compared to 236 at the same time last year.

Two thirds of casualty crashes and nearly three quarters of fatalities of cyclists occur on arterial roads.

What proportion are in bicycle lanes on arterial roads?

[Westside]

I have noticed road widening works on the northern side Henley Beach Rd just before Rowells Rd and can't help but think that is to complete the bike lane that disappears while going around the bend, then reappears. A definite dangerous stretch for cyclists. Bravo if that is the reason, I'm glad to see governments are seeing bike lanes as more than just a white line. Lets just hope they can do this for other 'missing links' such as Henley Beach Rd just west of South Rd.

[peas_and_corn]

Motorists to blame for 9 of 10 accidents with cyclists

NEARLY nine out of 10 accidents involving cyclists and cars in Australia are the fault of the motorist, new research has found.

The research also recommends introducing new road rules enforcing safe passing distances for cars.

Drivers were at fault in 87 per cent of incidents with cyclists and most did not realise they had behaved in a reckless or unsafe manner, according to the Monash University Accident Research Centre and The Amy Gillett Foundation.

The three-year study into cyclist safety on the roads used mounted video camera footage, as well as helmet-mounted cameras worn by cyclists, to determine the main causes of road accidents between cyclists and motorists.

Fifty-four events were recorded; including two collisions, six near-collisions and 46 other incidents.

The helmet camera study found that of the 54 incidents recorded, more than 88 per cent of cyclists travelled in a safe and legal way.

Conversely, drivers changing lanes and turning left without indicating or looking were the cause of more than 70 per cent of the incidents, Amy Gillett Foundation chief executive officer Tracey Gaudry said.

“We believe there is a strong argument to introduce a road rule that prescribes a safe passing distance (at least one metre), as well as further educating drivers that they need to indicate at least five seconds before changing lanes,” she said.

The Amy Gillett Foundation is named after the 29-year-old Australian track cyclist who was killed in a training accident when a motorist crashed into a group of cyclists.

According to the foundation, bike sales in Australia have exceeded car sales for nearly a decade, with an average of 37 cyclists killed and more than 2,500 seriously injured annually and nationally.

Last week, Victoria Police cracked down on motorists and cyclists breaking the law in Melbourne's CBD, with seven cyclists killed on Victoria's roads, three more than this time last year.

[Wayno]

NEARLY nine out of 10 accidents involving cyclists and cars in Australia are the fault of the motorist, new research has found.

Alarming but not surprising.

We all forget how to behave unless we regularly practice (irrespective of how thorough the training was in the first place).

[Westside]

This question has bugged me for a while so I thought I'd ask it here. Can anyone tell me if Greenhill Rd between Anzac Hwy and Fullarton Rd actually has a permanent bike lane. The reason I ask is this, there are no road signs whatsoever to indicate a bike lane along the entire length. (Not one!). The only indication it is a bike lane is the 'bike' painted on the asphalt and the single unbroken line. So, if this is a bike lane, one presumes it is always a bike lane, unless indicated otherwise. However, Greenhill rd is a clearway only during peak periods and believe me, every evening and weekend there are dozens of cars parked in the bike lane. So can someone tell me why there is no signage to indicate a part-time bike lane or why aren't these cars being booked for parking in a bike lane?

[mattblack]

Greenways project now underway with priority given to install bike lanes along rail lines. 1st one of the rank is Marino to Adelaide Parklands. Work underway along various sections including Greenhill rd. http://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/maj ... t/greenway