Bicycle Network Victoria (not BNA) opens Sydney Office

[silentC]

I guess I drive and ride on different roads to you. Just about everybody speeds. I just saw someone go past my window doing at least 70 in a 50 zone past a kid on a bike riding to school. He does it all the time. I've even spoken to him about it but it makes no difference. He lost it on the corner at the bottom of our street last year and collided with a power pole. Wrote his car off. He just bought another one and drives it the same.

This morning on my way home, I had a car go to pull out in front of me from a T intersection. He saw me at the last minute and stopped. He was talking on his mobile phone. I made a phone gesture with my hand and shouted "get off your f--ing phone". Wish I had a dollar for every time I've seen someone breaking that law.

The problem is that because there are so few police around, nobody takes the laws seriously. They view getting caught as an acceptable risk because the chances of it are so slim. Every time they have a DUI blitz here, they catch a staggering number of people. Even mothers driving their kids to school after a big night out.

I also lived in Sydney for 16 years. Sometimes I wonder at how I got out of there alive...

[antigee]

I don't really follow the logic of BNV's min passing rule as despite the semantics it is arguing no change when change is required - I don't understand what the alternative proposed is?
The current legislation fails to protect cyclists from intimidation, discourages new cyclists and allows bad drivers to claim they believed they were driving safely just because there actions didn't have injurious consequences.

Filtering could be dealt with - the problem with filtering is refuting drivers claims that cyclists want it both ways - add to that education for some cyclists on safe filtering would genuinely improve safety.

I like this

by herzog

Nice little anectdote from SydneyCyclist:

http://www.sydneycyclist.com/xn/detail/ ... ent:607675" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Reply by Pietro 8 hours ago
You Sydney folks need to get fighting for the Safe Passing Distance (aka Stay the *^& Away) laws. They've made a huge difference here in Qld - basically we are not getting skimmed any more (touch wood). I think the drivers are happier too, as they now know the rules for driving around cyclists, whereas before they had to guess at them.

Rule enforcement generally fails when enforcement to attempt behaviour change is the only way to achieve it - though far from perfect the 1m/1.5m rule is controversial enough to catch driver attention and to make drivers think about how to actually achieve it ( hence the ranting forum posts "how do I pass on a narrow road?" ). A minority will still ignore it but the majority will understand what is acceptable and the perception of what is safe should change.

[g-boaf]

I don't know how many times I've said to my wife "where are the cops when you need them" when some idiot is going hard for that elusive Darwin award and trying to take as many others with them as they can.

I distinctly remember saying it one afternoon as we were driving up the main drag in Canberra, when a boy racer in a Hyundai flew past weaving through the traffic. A few seconds later, he had collided with a laundry van that was coming in from a side street, swerved to the opposite side of the road, and brought down a power pole on his car. Even then it took quite some time for the cops to show up. I hung around to make sure they got the story straight.

I think the biggest problem is the lack of resources, especially outside the cities. I know one of the local highway patrol blokes here. The area they have to cover is ridiculous and the chance of a particular act being carried out in front of them is so close to zero it might as well be.

We had quite a big problem in our street with P platers speeding. But nothing could be done unless they were caught in the act with a speed camera. The highway patrol got into the routine of driving up here every time they went past. Literally 3 minutes after they had left, some idiot would come flying up the road.

I guess we are all going to have to invest in video cameras, make ourselves known at the local police station and hope that we get a sympathetic magistrate if and when the time comes.

I've seen the same thing and made sure I stuck around to make sure the real story was heard.

We've got a local hoon who has a black Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG, around 2003 model. Ordinarily, this car has 612hp at around 4800-5100rpm and 1000Nm torque. It's a V12 twin-turbo and weighs over 2 tonnes. It's stupidly fast in that form. But this one is modified further still. It spins its rear wheels easily in 2nd gear. 2nd gear in that is over 110km/h. This thing is a menace. And I've seen it reach 3rd gear numerous times on a road that is a 70km/h zone. I wait for it to hit a light pole or collect someone else...

Nobody seems to care about it. Seems like it is okay for car drivers to break the law.

[nezumi]

I figured this might be the best place to put this rather than creating a new thread.

Bicycle Network and Bicycle Tasmania discuss merger

Bicycle Network and Bicycle Tasmania are excited to be discussing the possibility of a merger.

Bicycle Network CEO Craig Richards said while no final deal had been struck, positive discussions were underway.

Mr Richards said Bicycle Network and Bicycle Tasmania had been close friends for many years, supporting each other in the promotion of getting more people onto bikes and physically active.

“It’s a really exciting time for Bicycle Network and for Bicycle Tasmania and we’re exploring the possibilities of being a merged organisation,” Mr Richards said.

He said if the merger is completed, it would enhance the strengths of both organisations and provide a great platform to improve conditions for riders in Tasmania and the rest of Australia.

Discussions will be ongoing with an announcement to be made after a decision is reached.

From the Bicycle Tasmania website

Most members would be aware that, for several years, Bicycle Tasmania (BT)’s basic membership administration and rider insurance have been provided through Bicycle Network (BN). In addition, BN has taken on the employer role for us by recruiting and paying the salary of locally based bike advocacy staff, utilising the membership income of our members.

Is this another step in Bicycle Network's plans to become Australia's primary recreational cycling body? Cycling Aus for sports cycling and BN for recreational and utility cycling, leaving Amy Gillet Foundation, SCA etc to pick up the actual advocacy work for cyclists?

[herzog]

There goes tassie's chance of getting a safe passing law.

[Xplora]

There goes tassie's chance of getting a safe passing law.

Amen..... one point where some separation of advocacy groups is a good thing