Article: Traffic controllers to restore safety for cyclists, pedestrians ...

[ozbob]

Frrom the Courier Mail click here!

Traffic controllers to restore safety for cyclists, pedestrians on bikeway

Traffic controllers to restore safety for cyclists, pedestrians on bikeway
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Bruce McMahon

May 04, 2009 12:00am

A SERIES of brushes between cyclists and pedestrians has forced a stop-go rule on the Bicentennial Bikeway upgrade alongside the Brisbane River.

Brisbane City Council has suspended pedestrian access on a 400m section at Milton, in the city's inner-west, sending pedestrians on to a narrow footpath along Coronation Drive.

Down below, cyclists - managed by traffic controllers from 5am to 8pm - travel on a temporary construction boardwalk, one direction at a time.

"Most people realise it's for their safety," traffic controller Kerry Otter said.

"It's a busy little path, but it's all been good."

Council's Public and Active chairwoman Jane Prentice said the diversion was a temporary measure that would last six weeks.

But more riding restrictions may follow if cyclists continue to speed along the bikeway. A recent police blitz near the Hale Street Link project saw a caution handed out every 30 seconds.

The bikeway project, part of the council's $100 million spend on shared cycle paths, will deliver two 400m-long separated pedestrian and cycle paths to make the section between Cribb St and Park Rd safer.

[Mozz]

I am a regular user of the pathway on both bike and as a pedestrian and find the article quite fluffy and doesn't really reflect the issues experienced at peak and other times.

The pathway at peak times is very busy with bikes and pedestrians. Some bike riders would be charged with dangerous driving under the criminal code if they drove a motorised vehicle in the manner they pilot their bikes along the bikeway with little concern or regard for the prevailing conditions. Trying to ride a bike at 40-50kph on a multi use pathway with many other bike riders and pedestrians is plain lunancy however it is a regular occurrence.

I don't envy the attempts by traffic controllers to bring order to the chaos.

[ButFli]

Something needs to be done to separate bikes from pedestrians permanently along that stretch of bikeway. Obviously there isn't the room while construction is in progress but once it is completed there should be a separate pedestrian pathway put in. There is plenty of room for most of the way.

[Derwan]

If they'd widened Coronation Drive over the cycleway instead of implementing the failed tidal system, they could've had a walkway beside the road with a nice view of the river - while allowing the cyclists exclusive access to the path below.

I saw it on the news last night - and it was a bit more as Mozz described.  There are some areas along the narrow footpath beside Coronation Drive that aren't wide enough for strollers.  There was a jogger who didn't hear (or completely ignored) the controller.  The signs are opposite to what's happening - because they originally had it set up the other way around and have not updated the signs.

I'm with ButFli - separate bikes and pedestrians where possible.  There should be a speed limit for cyclists on all shared paths - something like 20km/h.  If their excuse is that the don't know how fast they're going, they should buy a speedo for their bike!