Friday, June 25, 2010

A turning of the tide.

Nice yarn in today's Sydney Morning Herald today on plans to cut speed limits in urban areas to better protect cyclists. Having been a cyclist in Sydney, Melbourne and now Hobart for a touch over 20 years, it's amazing how far the attitudes of some governments have changed. On the other hand, in Melbourne this week, a widely supported plan to make cycling on Beach Road easier and safer was rejected by a local council. The comments accompanying the article shows some motorists still have a way to go too. Two steps forward, one step back.
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2 comments:

Unknown said...

We have a green contra-flow lane out the front of our place on (the one-way stretch) of Wilson Street Newtown. It's marked with green paint but there's no barriers between it and the rest of the road. Now Sydney Council is putting in a narrow concrete strip (about 120mm high and 300mm wide) between the bike lane and the rest of the road (which is quite narrow). On every light pole near my place is a poster saying the RTA says Wilson Street is too narrow for a designated bike lane. "Stop this madness" it says and provides a number at the Council to call. Of course the author is too gutless to identify him or herself. I actually think they have a point. The lane's fine as it is, though I only use about 50 metres of it, and the road is very narrow with parking on the opposite side. Just wish people had the guts to say who they are.

9:41 AM
David Killick said...

Struth, it sounds like a lot to fit into a fairly narrow road. (God I love Google Maps!)

Something had to give one day. What I reckon is madness is spending billions on a single transport solution that doesn't really work that well: that causes congestion and obesity and pollution and road deaths. Motorists have had it pretty good and continue to do so, and I speak as someone who, being honest, is a motorist for more hours a week than I'm a cyclist.

9:53 AM

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