M7 Safety Alert Thread

[syu]

I had another encounter with what I call the Cecil Hills Brown Snake yesterday.

In the past I've seen it, or more specifically dodged it, on the downhill section heading south past Elizabeth Drive where the overhanging trees are. This time it was a little further north on the crest of the hill coming out of the grass on the side of the path. Not the the first hill top past Elizabeth Drive where people congregate but the second one further south just after the first downhill.

So just a heads up and be on the look out, if it's on the path you won't miss it as it's huge. Thicker than my dainty little wrists. Fortunately I don't see people stop there very often unlike the other hill.

This is how it played out in a split second. I'm cresting the hill. Snake. BROWN snake. Tail? HEAD! Swerve to give myself some distance but the gusting cross winds from the west actually kept me going straight past it. Not fun.

I was definitely within striking distance, it was fight or flight for the snake and fortunately for me it chose flight and recoiled back as I whizzed past .

[g-boaf]

Hi Tracey, please note : Whilst riding the M7 path last Wednesday (31st August) Evening ( 6:30 PM -ish) , we came across 2 guys riding their scooters on the bike path. Scooters even had had no lights on them.
Not very safe to have them on the bike path were they clearly do not belong.

Might be the same guys mentioned earlier in this forum.

Thanks.

update : saw the same guys riding their scooters on the M7 path tonight. they obviously do not belong on the cycling path.

And an update on these trail bike riders that some of you might have seen, dressed mostly in black. These two were spotted again around 10:47am this morning going north over the crest of the Elizabeth Drive hill and then later stopped at the bubblers at Eastern Creek talking to some riders.

These two are actually Police. Just take care out there.

I don't really think those two belong on the path on trail bikes, it would be better if they were told to clear off, or at least ride smaller/slower e-bikes.

[Jawa]

I think that magpie nesting just south of chook poo sprint has finished its nesting (hopefully). Haven't had any trouble last couple of rides.

[g-boaf]

I think that magpie nesting just south of chook poo sprint has finished its nesting (hopefully). Haven't had any trouble last couple of rides.

None yesterday either. Hopefully, fingers crossed. Unfortunately had to deal with magpies elsewhere away from the M7.

[tez001]

If its gone, that must be a record for the shortest time nesting?

[WestlinkM7]

Hi everyone, the gates at Prestons have been closed, due to the wet weather yesterday. We will keep you posted with an update on when the gates will be reopened. In the meantime, please take care out there.

kind regards,
Tracey, WestlinkM7

[WestlinkM7]

Hi Tracey, please note : Whilst riding the M7 path last Wednesday (31st August) Evening ( 6:30 PM -ish) , we came across 2 guys riding their scooters on the bike path. Scooters even had had no lights on them.
Not very safe to have them on the bike path were they clearly do not belong.

Might be the same guys mentioned earlier in this forum.

Thanks.

Hi dfw, thanks for letting me know. At that time in the evening, lights would definitely be needed. We can look to do some educational information about using the shared path, if that helps. kind regards, Tracey

[WestlinkM7]

The gates were still shut this morning. I assume there must have been a metre or more of water across the path...

Just leave the gates open, closing them for a tiny little bit of water is plainly ridiculous.
.

We went through yesterday, there was some dirty water on the path. There was nothing to stop it being swept off though and for the thin layer of dirt to be pressure washed off. As I've mentioned before though, there are clearly no workers to do any work at weekends for the path. If it's closed on Friday then it's closed until Monday at the earliest even if the path is dry and clean as there is nobody who can check the condition nor open the gates.

Hi, we do understand this can be an issue (with the gates being closed over the weekend). We are looking at what we can do to address this issue. thanks again for your feedback. kind regards, Tracey, WestlinkM7

[g-boaf]

Good news, that magpie at Eastern Creek seems to be gone now. Two weekends I've been through there - he has been a no show.

[WestlinkM7]

Yes, the incident was very unfortunate and we understand this is a serious issue. We are working through some options, and investigating what can be done to deter the bird. This matter is being managed by our environmental and safety teams and as soon as I get some more feedback from them, I can let you know. Unfortunately we are not permitted to remove the bird.

Thanks for your reply Tracey.

I appreciate you're not the one who makes the decisions but are only acting as a liaison. Thanks for letting us know you can't have the bird removed, I imagine it's a protected species, some googling will probably alert me to this.

I don't think the bird can be deterred, it's simply doing what's in its nature to do every 3 months of the year and unfortunately it is particularly aggressive about it, so your team is going to have a task ahead of them.

Please keep us informed.

thanks syu, the decision is ultimately one that will need to be made lawfully, and by our management teams. There are different options being looked at carefully. will keep you posted if there is any information. thanks, Tracey, WestlinkM7

[Ballmead]

Maybe someone has already taken care of the Magpie? It seems unusual for it's nesting period to be so short.

[westab]

Friends last night the lights between the Quakers hill parkway and the footbridge over the M7 (if travelling east) where out at approx. 6pm. It could be a timer issue or simply that they were not working.
Either way please be careful riding through there as there are a number of pedestrians who wear dark colours who would be very hard to see if you have no lights on or only a blinking light.

[dfw]

Hi Tracey, please note : Whilst riding the M7 path last Wednesday (31st August) Evening ( 6:30 PM -ish) , we came across 2 guys riding their scooters on the bike path. Scooters even had had no lights on them.
Not very safe to have them on the bike path were they clearly do not belong.

Might be the same guys mentioned earlier in this forum.

Thanks.

Hi dfw, thanks for letting me know. At that time in the evening, lights would definitely be needed. We can look to do some educational information about using the shared path, if that helps. kind regards, Tracey

Hi Tracey,
Thank you for your reply, I should have been more specific, These are motorised Vespa like vehicles, no lights on them, I doubt they are even road worthy as a motor vehicle.

Thanks.

[biker jk]

I was swooped by a magpie (not 100% sure) around 50 metres before the bubbler heading north. Around a week ago I had seen a magpie swoop a rider at the same spot. This bird is not aggressive. It just flapped its wings.

While on the subject of magpies, I noticed that there were spikes on the lights where the EC magpie used to perch before attacking. These spikes may have been there for a while but I only noticed them today. Go figure.

[Ballmead]

I was swooped by a magpie (not 100% sure) around 50 metres before the bubbler heading north. Around a week ago I had seen a magpie swoop a rider at the same spot. This bird is not aggressive. It just flapped its wings.

While on the subject of magpies, I noticed that there were spikes on the lights where the EC magpie used to perch before attacking. These spikes may have been there for a while but I only noticed them today. Go figure.

I was swooped today by that same Magpie, at exactly the same spot. It left me alone when I was heading north but swooped me when I was heading south. The bird just lets you know your in his territory and as stated before, doesn't seem to be aggressive and doesn't follow you very far.

[syu]

While on the subject of magpies, I noticed that there were spikes on the lights where the EC magpie used to perch before attacking. These spikes may have been there for a while but I only noticed them today. Go figure.

The spikes are definitely new, but that means there's no where for the crows to perch. I like seeing whenever a crow is perched above the path because that means that the magpie isn't around.

[g-boaf]

I was swooped by a magpie (not 100% sure) around 50 metres before the bubbler heading north. Around a week ago I had seen a magpie swoop a rider at the same spot. This bird is not aggressive. It just flapped its wings.

While on the subject of magpies, I noticed that there were spikes on the lights where the EC magpie used to perch before attacking. These spikes may have been there for a while but I only noticed them today. Go figure.

I was swooped today by that same Magpie, at exactly the same spot. It left me alone when I was heading north but swooped me when I was heading south. The bird just lets you know your in his territory and as stated before, doesn't seem to be aggressive and doesn't follow you very far.

I saw this one too, but it wasn't particularly bothersome - not at the moment anyhow.

[biker jk]

Black snake on the path under the Chandos Rd overpass. Thankfully it slithered from left to right as we headed south.

[WestlinkM7]

I was swooped by a magpie (not 100% sure) around 50 metres before the bubbler heading north. Around a week ago I had seen a magpie swoop a rider at the same spot. This bird is not aggressive. It just flapped its wings.

While on the subject of magpies, I noticed that there were spikes on the lights where the EC magpie used to perch before attacking. These spikes may have been there for a while but I only noticed them today. Go figure.

Hi biker jk. Westlink is looking at all possible options for deterring the birds, the spikes have been installed temporarily, just as a trial.

kind regards
Tracey, WestlinkM7

[g-boaf]

Those spikes seem to be a reasonable idea. Prevents him from waiting in his favourite place.

[Jawa]

I was swooped by a magpie (not 100% sure) around 50 metres before the bubbler heading north. Around a week ago I had seen a magpie swoop a rider at the same spot. This bird is not aggressive. It just flapped its wings.

While on the subject of magpies, I noticed that there were spikes on the lights where the EC magpie used to perch before attacking. These spikes may have been there for a while but I only noticed them today. Go figure.

I was swooped today by that same Magpie, at exactly the same spot. It left me alone when I was heading north but swooped me when I was heading south. The bird just lets you know your in his territory and as stated before, doesn't seem to be aggressive and doesn't follow you very far.

So there is a maggie there then ... thought id been swooped a couple times cause I felt the woosh but every time I looked around I didn’t see anything

[Andrew09]

Monday 10 October - nice black snake sighted slithering across the path near the Equestrian Centre. I'm surprised I didn't see any more given how warm it was out there. No magpies though.

[g-boaf]

Not quite M7 related - but mid-morning on Chandos Road (in between M7 and Ferrers Road) there was a pretty huge head-on collision between a ute and a Corolla, the front of the Corolla was absolutely demolished.

This accident was just about in front of the property with all the old cars, washing machines, etc.

I'm guessing someone must have tried to overtake on the approach to a crest. Just as I was going through there a van did a MGIF overtake on me and another rider with a car approaching. So take care along there.

[syu]

On Sunday on the path I saw the two Police on motorbikes out on patrol. The first time I saw them they were stopped on the side of the path, a short time later I saw a guy riding without a helmet heading in their direction. By the time I turned around and gave chase to warn him he'd already passed them.

It turns out they had already seen him earlier and they didn't give him a fine or a stern talking to. It's nice to know they're not in the business of ruining a cyclist's morning.

Prior to that heading north a couple of hundred metres before the equestrian centre entrance on the downhill a black snake slithers from the left of the path in front of me in an attempt to cross. I swerved in front of it to the right and scared it off in the process. I thought "At least it wasn't a brown snake".

About 4km later the exact same thing happens again, this time with a brown snake.

[biker jk]

The Westlink/M7 website has changed to Roam and there is no longer news of the path closing/opening at the Prestons end due to flooding. I emailed Roam asking where I can find this information on the new website and they said my email had been forwarded to the appropriate person (Oct 6) but there is still no reply.